History & Images of the Roman Theatre in Aosta, Italy

Roman Theatre, Aosta

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1 Roman Theatre, Aosta
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The Roman Theatre in Aosta is an ancient building built a few decades after the foundation of the Aosta, in 25 BC as testified by the presence of pre-existing structures in the area. The amphitheater dates back to the time of Emperor Claudius.

The Roman Theatre in Aosta is one of the most significant monuments of Roman theatrical architecture in northern Italy. Of the original theatre, the cavea and the foundations of the wall that served as a backdrop are still visible today.

The buildings reserved for entertainment, theatre and amphitheatre, were built in the north-eastern part of the city near the Porta Prætoria.

The Roman Theatre of Aosta is one of the masterpieces of Roman provincial architecture of the High Empire. The monumental wall perforated by arches and windows is all that remains of the building’s façade, which rises 22 meters. The cavea, the concave semicircular structure designed to accommodate the audience, consisted of several tiers of seats reaching up to the third tier of windows in the perimeter wall.

What remains today include the six lower tiers and the two larger ones near the orchestra, reserved for the seats of important personalities and the southern façade, standing at 22 m.

The stage building stood in front of the cavea, behind the orchestra. Today, only the foundations remain, with its façade originally decorated with Corinthian columns, marbles, and statues, and completed by a series of service rooms behind it. It is estimated that several thousand spectators could be seated in the theatre in Aosta.