The Silence Stages

Since 2005 I have been visiting more than 430 ancient greek and roman theatres around 18 countries, taking photographs and information. These blog is dedicated to all that experience.



Desde 2005 he visitado más de 430 teatros y odeones, griegos y romanos en 18 países, tomando fotografías y recopilando información. Este blog está dedicado a toda esta experiencia.



Sunday 25 November 2012

Akrai (Palazzolo Acreide)

AKRAI (Palazzolo Acreide), ancient Magna Graecia / Sicilia, modern Sicilia,  Italy.

COORDINATES: 37º03’27.27’’N // 14º53’40.77’’E
TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Urban.
DATE: Late III B.C.
TRANSFORMATIONS: Roman stage and orchestra.
CAPACITY: 700 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing north. 37,5 m. diameter. Semicircular cavea. Only one maeniana with 15 rows of seats in 9 cunei.
ORCHESTRA: 19,2 m. diameter, paved in limestone in Roman times.
STAGE BUILDING: Pulpitum is 13,7 x 2,6 m. Roman stage 1,2 m. high, with curved niches. Evidence of thyromata.
LOCATION: The theatre is next to the bouleuterion. Ancient Akrai is west of Palazzolo Acreide, 50 klm. west from Syracuse.
MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Mitens, Karina; “Teatri greci e teatri inspirati all’architecttura greca in Sicilia e nell’Italia Meridionale c. 350-50 a.C.”. Roma, L’Erma di Bretschneider, 1988 // 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:
“Where are my bay-leaves?
Come, Thestylis; where are my love-charms?
Come crown me the bowl with the crimson flower o’ wool”
     -Theocritus of Syracuse-

Saturday 17 November 2012

Letoon (Kumluova)

LETOON (Kumluova), ancient Lycia / Asia Minor, modern Turkey.

COORDINATES: 36º19’55.09’’N // 29º17’23.87’’E
TIPOLOGY: Greek theatre. Not urban.
DATE: First half of II B.C.
TRANSFORMATIONS: Rebuilt in II A.D.
CAPACITY: 5.700 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing north-west. Built in hollow. 79 m. diameter, cavea exceeds semicircle. Maenianum: Ima cavea with 16 rows of seats in 12 cunei, top rows with continuous back; Summa cavea with 17 rows in 20 cunei. Frieze with bearbead heads of Dionysos in east doorway arched.
ORCHESTRA: It was surrounded by podium. Not excavated.
STAGE BUILDING: Proscaenium with Doric half-columns; Scaenae frons had two-storey columnatio.
LOCATION: Theatre is part of Xanthian sanctuary of Letoon, the sanctuary is in modern Kumluova, 4 klm. south-west from Kinik, 70 klm. south from Fethiye.
MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Yilmaz, Yasar; “Anadolu Antik Tiyatrolari”. Istanbul, Yem Yanin, 2010. // Bean, George; “Lycian Turkey”. London, Ernst Benn, 1978. // Freely, John; “The Western Mediterranean coast of Turkey”. Istanbul, Matbaacilik ve Yayincilik A.S., 1997. // 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 it had happened short or long time ago
I do not know
if we did this trip
or just seems to me
I do not know”
                        -Nâzim Hikmet-

Sunday 11 November 2012

Seressi (Oum el Abouad)

SERESSI (Oum El Abouad), ancient Africa Proconsularis, modern Tunisia.
COORDINATES: About 36º09’58.52’’N // 9º46’26.40’’E
TIPOLOGY: Roman theatre. Urban.
DATE: Imperial Roman times.
TRANFORMATIONS:
CAPACITY:
CAVEA: Facing south-west. Three rows of seat preserved.
ORCHESTRA: 22 m. diameter.
STAGE BUILDING: 22x12 m.
LOCATION: Theatre remains are west of ancient town. Oum El Abouad is in C46 road, 85 klm. north-east from Mactaris.
MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Lachaux, Jean-Claude. “Théâtres et amphithéâtres d’Afrique Proconsulaire”. Aix en Provence, Édisud, 1979. // 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:
“Heroically
one hero strips his heroism to the air
to smoke a little of sad, lonely
in exile”.
     -Youssef Rzouga”-

Sunday 4 November 2012

Delos (Dilos Island)

DELOS (DILOS), ancient Achaia, modern Cyclades, Greece.

COORDINATES: 3Gº23’52.96’’N // 25º16’14.96’’E
TIPOLOGY: Cultic greek theatre. Urban. It´s not the big theatre in Delos, is the small one associated to the Sanctuary of the Syrian gods.
DATE: Last II B.C.
TRANSFORMATIONS:
CAPACITY: 500 spectators.
CAVEA: Facing west. Built against hillside, 20,6 m. diameter. Cavea exceeds semicircle. Maenianum: 12 rows of seats in 5 cunei.
ORCHESTRA: 10,6 m. diameter, paved in mosaic.
STAGE BUILDING: there´s not traces. Probably never had.
LOCATION: The theatre is in Delos island, south-east in the ancient city; the theatre is part of the Syrian gods sanctuary, 0,25 kllm. north-east from the big Greek theatre.
MY BEDSIDE TABLE: Nielsen, Inge. “Cultic theatre and ritual drama”. Aarhus, Aarhus University Press, 2002. // 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: The theatre did not belong to the sanctuary originaly, but was constructed in the enlargement carried out in 113-104 B.C.