Roman Theatre of Trieste: An Ancient Cultural Venue in Italy

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Official Website: www.turismofvg.it

Country: Italy

Civilization: Roman

Remains: Entertainment

History

The Roman Theatre of Trieste stands at the edge of the ancient city of Tergeste, the predecessor of modern Trieste in Italy. It was built by the Romans beginning in the late 1st century BCE, shortly after the city’s foundation. Its initial construction took place during the Augustan period, the last third of the 1st century BCE, reflecting architectural styles similar to theatres in Mérida and Verona.

During the Julio-Claudian dynasty, the theatre was fully decorated, marking its peak use and cultural importance. At the end of the 1st century or the start of the 2nd century CE, the theatre underwent restoration and received new statues. These works were funded by Quintus Petronius Modestus, a Roman military officer and procurator, whose inscriptions on site record his role in the renovations.

Over time, the theatre was abandoned, and its stones were quarried for other buildings. The site became buried beneath medieval structures.

Rediscovery occurred in the early 19th century when architect Pietro Nobile identified the ruins in 1814. Archaeological excavations took place in 1937-1938 under Vittorio Macchioro during urban renewal efforts under Mussolini. Since 1964, after restoration and heritage protection, the theatre has been used again for theatrical performances, reviving its ancient function.

Remains

The Roman Theatre of Trieste is built into the slope of San Giusto hill, using the natural incline to support the seating area, known as the cavea. The cavea measures 64.40 meters in diameter, with a semicircular orchestra space 20.34 meters wide. The theatre’s layout includes four entrances: two side passageways parallel to the stage and two vomitoria, which are radial corridors allowing access to the seating.

Constructed mainly from sandstone rubble and brick facing around a concrete core (opus caementicium), the theatre shows evidence of later repairs, especially in brickwork. The cavea is divided vertically into two sections by a semicircular landing. The lower section, with twelve rows of stone seats, remains visible, while the upper rows were likely wooden and have not survived.

The outer wall of the cavea stands 15 meters high and features corbelled supports for wooden masts that held a velum, a large awning to shade spectators. A large central niche in this wall may have housed a small shrine, added later with design elements recalling Augustan architecture.

The orchestra’s semicircular border is paved with stone slabs, possibly reserved for important guests. The pulpitum, the low wall separating the stage from the orchestra, is 0.68 meters tall and contains eight niches designed to reduce sound echoes. It was likely decorated with pink stone slabs.

The stage wall, now mostly lost, originally rose at least 15 meters and had two levels decorated with doors, niches for statues, columns, and colorful plaster and stucco panels. Flanking the stage were two square service buildings about 8 meters wide. Evidence of a stage curtain exists, supported by two rows of embedded masts, with twelve mast holes still visible on the wooden stage floor.

The central main stage door, called the valva regia, is set within a curved exedra and flanked by two cruciform rooms with red plastered walls, probably used as dressing rooms for actors. Two smaller side doors also connected the stage to backstage areas, each framed by columns.

Behind the stage, a porticus post scaenam, a covered colonnade measuring 63.85 by 4 meters, closed the rear area. It overlooked the ancient shoreline and featured eighteen columns with velum mast supports similar to those on the cavea wall.

Sculptural decoration from the early 2nd century CE includes marble statues of deities such as Athena, Aphrodite, Apollo, Hygieia, Asclepius, and Dionysus, along with figures like a satyr and a child. These works are attributed to local or Aquileian workshops. A notable statue head originally depicting Emperor Nero was reworked to represent Emperor Titus, likely reflecting political changes and celebrating Titus’s victory at Jerusalem. This alteration was probably commissioned by Quintus Petronius Modestus.

Several inscriptions on the site mention Quintus Petronius Modestus, detailing his military and administrative career and his role as benefactor of the theatre’s renovations. These inscriptions were placed in prominent or repaired areas of the cavea.

The theatre’s remains, including statues and inscriptions, are preserved at the San Giusto Castle museum. Copies of key inscriptions are displayed on site to provide historical context.