Rome - December 28, 2011 - Theatre of Marcellus

Theatre of Marcellus

The Theatre of Marcellus is (so I have been told) one of the oldest stone theatres to be built in Rome. The senate during the republican period didn’t like the idea of permanent theatres believing them to be dens of sin…or something. Can’t remember where I read that.

This theatre is remarkably well preserved (at least the outside), mostly because it was turned first into a fortress and then into a palace. Today you can see that the upper floors appear to still be occupied.

I was quite excited to actually see the theatre close up as I have seen it from up the streets a number of times before but without ever having the time to actually stop by and visit. Rather impressive, I have to imagine that the inside was much like the surviving theatres in Bosra and Palmyra in Syria. They didn’t have fancy arcades outside, but rather lavish surviving interiors.

Theatre and Temple Ruins
Synagogue in the background

For a two thousand year old building its held up rather well.

 Right next to the Theatre of Marcellus are three beautifully preserved columns of the temple of Apollo Sosianus. Though the columns we actually resurrected in the 1930’s they are quite impressive nonetheless. Almost a brilliant white in contrast to the rather brownstone looking theatre. According to Pliny this temple was the home of a number of important works of art liberated (looted) from Greece. This included the frieze in the pediment which pre-dated this particular temple by about 400 years.

Some of this frieze is located in the Capitoline Museum (which is visible from the theatre). 

There are a couple of tourist shops (perfect for getting a bottle of water) and a lot of bus stops just east of here towards the Capitoline hill and the Vittorio Emanuele II Monument.

The backside of the theatre of Marcellus

Jeepers I look soooo fat, and what is that guy looking at?