Teatro Grande

Welcome to one of the most fascinating and surreal archaeological sites in Europe. We are standing in the heart of the historic center of Naples, but we are also standing on top of a massive Roman theater that dates back to the…

To begin our descent into the theater, we must first experience a uniquely Neapolitan phenomenon. We are entering through a 'basso'—a traditional ground-floor apartment that opens directly onto the street. …

We now move into the remains of the Summa Cavea, or the upper tier of the seating area. In Roman times, the seating in a theater was strictly social: the closest seats were for the elite, while the upper sections—where we are…

As we walk through these narrow, vaulted corridors, we are moving through the 'vomitoria.' Despite the somewhat unappealing modern connotation of the word, in Latin, 'vomere' means 'to spew forth.' These were the sophisticated…

The most famous historical anecdote associated with this theater involves the Emperor Nero. In 64 AD, Nero, who fancied himself a great artist and singer, chose this theater for his public debut. …

We now approach the area that would have been the 'scaenae frons'—the elaborately decorated permanent architectural background of the Roman stage. In its heyday, this would have been a three-story facade of marble columns,…

Our final section examines how the theater transitioned from a temple of art to a foundation for a city. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the theater fell into disuse. …

As we emerge back into the sunlight and the chaotic energy of modern Naples, take a moment to reflect on the hidden world we just visited. The Teatro Romano di Neapolis is a profound reminder that we always walk on the shoulders…