The ancient theatre of Taormina ( it, Teatro antico di Taormina) is an ancient
Greek theatre
Ancient Greek theatre was a theatrical culture that flourished in ancient Greece from 700 BC. The city-state of Athens, which became a significant cultural, political, and religious place during this period, was its centre, where the theatre was ...
in
Taormina
Taormina ( , , also , ; scn, Taurmina) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy. Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on ...
, Sicily, built in the third century BC.
History
A Hellenistic theatre stood at Taormina from around the third century BC. The remains of another Hellenistic building have been found under the Roman
cavea
The ''cavea'' (Latin for "enclosure") are the seating sections of Greek and Roman theatres and amphitheatres
An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performance ...
. Under Roman rule, the theatre was rebuilt, probably around the time of
Hadrian
Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
or
Trajan
Trajan ( ; la, Caesar Nerva Traianus; 18 September 539/11 August 117) was Roman emperor from 98 to 117. Officially declared ''optimus princeps'' ("best ruler") by the senate, Trajan is remembered as a successful soldier-emperor who presi ...
. It was remodelled in the third century AD, with the orchestra turned into an arena and the stage removed.
Description
The ancient
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
had a diameter of and could hold around 10,000 spectators. It is one of the oldest theatres in
Magna Graeca
Magna Graecia (, ; , , grc, Μεγάλη Ἑλλάς, ', it, Magna Grecia) was the name given by the Romans to the coastal areas of Southern Italy in the present-day Italian regions of Calabria, Apulia, Basilicata, Campania and Sicily; these re ...
to have curved ''cavea'', rather than the older trapezoidal design. The ''cavea'' were divided into nine sections. On either side of the ''skene'' was a
basilica
In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...
. Today, the theatre is used as a venue for the annual arts festival
Taormina Arte.
File:Sicilia Taormina2 tango7174.jpg,
File:Taormina BW 2012-10-05 16-23-06.JPG,
File:Taormina-amphi1.JPG,
File:TaorminaFilmFest 2003.jpg,
File:Taormina Greek Theater Sepia.jpg,
File:Ancient theatre of Taormina.jpg,
See also
*
List of ancient Greek theatres
This is a list of ancient Greek theatres by location.
Attica and Athens
*Theatre of Dionysus, Athens
*Odeon of Athens, Athens
* Theatre of Oropos, Oropos, East Attica
* Theatre of Zea, Piraeus, Athens
* Theatre of Thoricus, East Attica
* Theatre ...
*
Greek Theatre of Syracuse
The Greek theatre of Syracuse lies on the south slopes of the Temenite hill, overlooking the modern city of Syracuse in southeastern Sicily, Italy. It was first built in the 5th century BC, rebuilt in the 3rd century BC and renovated again in the ...
*
History of Taormina
Taormina dates to around 396 BC after Dionysius I of Syracuse destroyed nearby Naxos in 403 BC and the Siculi formed a new settlement on the nearby Mount Taurus which gradually grew up into the city of Tauromenium (modern Taormina).
After the fal ...
References
External links
View at 360° of Teatro antico di Taormina
{{DEFAULTSORT:Theatre Antique D'orange
Taormina
Taormina ( , , also , ; scn, Taurmina) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy. Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on ...
Taormina
Taormina ( , , also , ; scn, Taurmina) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina, on the east coast of the island of Sicily, Italy. Taormina has been a tourist destination since the 19th century. Its beaches on ...
Theatres in Sicily
Taormina
7th-century BC establishments in Italy
Archaeological sites in Sicily