The Theatre


         Of all the buildings that the city hosted in roman times, the bestHypothetical location of the Theater in the city known and probably the greatest architectural and ornamental wealth was the theater.
         The theatre was discovered in 1994, but only the 30 per cent. Even though this is enough for knowing as it was previously. Nowadays it has been possible to recreate the real dimensions and its spatial configuration: the Cavea (steps) is totally recreated but the scaene, where there wasCordoban Theater presents great similarities with the Theater of Marcellus of Rome the stage, not.
         The roman architects chose the higher part to put the building, in order to exploit the slope and place it in the bleachers. The Cavea has a diameter of 125 m, so the biggest theatre in the Hispania, 6 m less than the Theater of Marcellus in Rome. It could keep till 15000 spectators. The Orchestra was situated near the Jerónimo Páez Square, near the Archaeological Museum.
         Among the rests there were keys of arch with theModel of the Theatre presented in the Archaeological Museum shape of a mask, cornice and columns, and thanks to them we know that the theater was a development in archery, which had overlapping orders of architecture, as in the Theatre of Marcellus. Moreover some capitals were found, similar to Temple of Mars Ultor in Rome, of which are thought to belong to the scanea.
         This building was related to the Augustan Period, possibly before to the 5 b.C; however it could have been decorated till Giulius-Claudius Period (14 b.C. to 69 a.C.). The building speaks about the main roman families, such as: Annaei, Marii, NumisiiIn the Archaeological Museum we can see remains of the bleachers of the Theatre, Meircellones Persii..., so it is supposed to finance by the Princeps Senatus (the Roman Senate).
         The theatre was used till the III Century a.C. Then an earthquake destroyed it gravely, producing large cracks on the cavea and the land on which they settled the foundation of the same. There was an attempt for repairing it in the IV Century a.C., and then it was burgled, becoming a quarry over the next century, being stripped of much of the stone up the cavea. After that the zone was rebuilt, turning into a residential zone in the Middle Age, and lasted until today.

Text: J.A.S.C.

Traslated by Sara Moretti