Libarna (Serravalle Scrivia)

LIBARNA (Serravalle Scrivia), ancient Regio IX, modern Italy.

COORDINATES: 44º42’24.31’’N // 8º51’54.08’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: Last I first II A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS: III A.D.

CAPACITY: 3.800 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing north-east. 57,7 m. diameter

ORCHESTRA: 15 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING: There are slot visible from aulaeum. Pulpitum was 35 x 4,7 m.

LOCATION: West of the ancient city. The ancient city is 1,5 klm south from modern Serravalle Scrivia, about 50 klm. north from Genova.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006. // Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); “Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato”. Rome: SEAT, 1995. // Tosi, Giovana; “Gli edificio per spettacoli nell’Italia romana”. Roma, Quasar, 2003. / Courtois, Catherine; “Le bâtiment de scène des théâtres d’Italie et de Sicile”. Providence, Louvain-la.Neuve, 1989.

 

OUT OF PRINT: The morning I visited Libarna I had a bigger pleasure than visiting the ancient theatre... I eat the best crostata I have ever eaten... marvelous pleasure for levitate... I can not forget it, you can taste it in “Il Fornio”.

Megalopolis (Megalopoli)

MEGALOPOLIS (Megalopoli), ancient Arkadia, modern Greece.

COORDENATES: 37º24´36.52’’N // 22º07’37.76’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Urban.

DATE: IV B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS: Late Roman stage.

CAPACITY: 17.000 spectators.

CAVEA: Facing north. 131 m. diameter. Built against hillside. Maenianum: Ima cavea, 9 rows survives but it has 20 in 9 cunei Media cavea with 20 rows in 9 cunei too. Summa cavea with 15 rows of seats divided in 16 cunei.

ORCHESTRA: 31,5 m. diameter. Unpaved.

STAGE BUILDING: Proscaenium supported by 14 columns. Portico of Thersilion stood directly opposite cavea and could served as scene building of theatre. Skanotheka 35 x 8,3 m.

LOCATION: North west from modern Megalopolis.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006. // Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); “Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato”. Rome: SEAT, 1995. // Izenour, George. Roofed Theaters of Classical Antiquity. Yale University Press, 1992.

 

OUT OF PRINT: “Megara: Husband, let me tell you again, Misfortune does not have many friends”. from Herakles, by Euripides... I hosted Megalopolis ... maybe it was the fatigue of the day.

Balbura (Katara)

BALBURA (Katara), ancient Lycia / Asia Minor, modern Turkey.

COORDENATES: 36º57’14.59’’N // 29º34’56.73’’E

TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Urban.

DATE: Mid – II B.C.

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY: 1.800 spectators.

CAVEA: facing south. 36 m. diameter, exceeeds semicircle. Maenianum: 16 rows of seat are visible on 3 cunei.

ORCHESTRA: 11 m. diameter.

STAGE BUILDING: It´s the best preserved a complete wall built on slope of polygonal rusticated masonry.

LOCATION: Balbura has two theatres, these is called “upper theatre” and it´s located on south slope of north hill, 6 klm. south-east from Altinyayla, 25 klm. south from Gölishar

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Yilmaz, Yasar; “Anadolu Antik Tiyatrolari”. Istanbul, Yem Yanin, 2010.// Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006. // Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); “Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato”. Rome: SEAT, 1995 // Bean, George; “Lycian Turkey”. London, Ernst Benn, 1978. // Freely, John; “The Western Mediterranean coast of Turkey”. Istanbul, Matbaacilik ve Yayincilik A.S., 1997.

 

 

OUT OF PRINT: These is one of these theatres that you spent time to find it. In my first travel to Lycia, I was not able to find it, I only had very poor references in Bean´s book, it was a day in which I lived with the snow on road and to take references was very difficult, I did not have a gps either. Anyway I found it in my second travel, it was difficult but too much exciting... the bad new was that I did not have references to look for the second one theatre, I tried to recognize the land was it was not possible... maybe, I hope, there will be a third time, another travel to Lycia, and I will try it again, of course.

Dora (Dor)

DORA (Dor), ancient Palestina, modern Israel.

COORDENATES: 32º37’12.06’’N // 34º55’07.48’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: II or III A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS:

CAPACITY:

CAVEA: Facing north-north-west. 60 m. diameter. Aditus maximi visible remains.

ORCHESTRA: Paved in stone.

STAGE BUILDING: Columns remains of grey and coloured marble. Corinthian capitals found.

LOCATION: 200 m. north of northern edge of town. Dor is 60 klm. north from Tel Aviv.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Segal, Arthur; “Theatres in Roman Palestine & provincia Arabia”. New York, E.J. Brill., 1995. // Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006.// Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); “Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato”. Rome: SEAT, 1995.

 

OUT OF PRINT: Somebody that I found in my visit to ancient Dora told me that the ancient theatre remains are actually the private WC of the bathers... well some latin comedy was always full of eschatology.

Teate Marrucinorum (Chieti)

TEATE MARRUCINORUM (Chieti), ancient Regio IV, modern Italy.

COORDENATES: 42º20’49.18’’N // 14º09’48.21’’E

TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.

DATE: Second half of I A.D. or first II A.D.

TRANSFORMATIONS: Orchestra was transformed in colimbetra for water games.

CAPACITY:

CAVEA: Facing north-north-west. 84 m. diameter. Built against slope the centre of cavea.

ORCHESTRA:

STAGE BUILDING: Under modern buildings.

LOCATION: In south-west part of town.

MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Tosi, Giovana; “Gli edificio per spettacoli nell’Italia romana”. Roma, Quasar, 2003.// Sear, Frank; “Roman theatres: an architectural study”. Oxford University Press, 2006.// Ciancio Rossetto, Paola; Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio (eds); “Teatri Greci e Romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato”. Rome: SEAT, 1995.

OUT OF PRINT: If you pretend to find some columnatio in the  scaenae frons you will find clothes drying in the sun, anyway I have always thought both are pretty.