Roman Theatre of Vasio Vocontiorum, Ancient Roman theatre in Vaison-la-Romaine, France

The Roman Theatre of Vasio Vocontiorum is an ancient site in Vaison-la-Romaine with rows of stone seating and passages carved directly into the hillside. The structure demonstrates how engineers integrated the natural slope into their construction methods.

The theatre was built during the early imperial period to serve the local population as a gathering place for performances and games. Later people reshaped the structure, reusing the stones for different purposes over the centuries.

The theatre was built against the Puymin hill, and its stage wall was 25 m high with many niches that absorbed echoes. Today it hosts Vaison-la-Romaine's annual dance festival and a choral festival held every three years, with seating for 5,000 spectators.

The site sits on a slope, so expect uneven paths and stairs when exploring. It helps to wear comfortable shoes and allow time for wandering through the ruins and visiting the nearby museum.

Behind the stage stood a 25-metre-high wall, and the stage itself was about 8 metres deep and 23 metres wide. Eleven pits that once held the masts of a curtain mechanism are still visible, and the wall's many niches absorbed echoes. Twelve vaulted cellars beneath the stage housed machinery for the performances.