Theatre of Pompey, Roman theatre in Campo Marzio, Italy
The Theatre of Pompey was a Roman theatre with a semicircular seating area roughly 150 meters across that held around 17,500 spectators. Multiple arched entrances led into the seating area, while a columned gallery behind the stage provided shelter from the weather.
Pompey built this theatre in 55 BC as Rome's first permanent stone structure of its kind and placed a temple to Venus at the top of the seating to address religious concerns. Julius Caesar was assassinated in an adjoining senate hall in 44 BC.
The remains lie hidden beneath modern buildings today, and some basement vaults still trace the curved shape of the original outer wall. In the street layout between Campo de' Fiori and Torre Argentina, visitors can follow this distinctive arc.
The foundations of this building rest in the basements of several noble palaces between Campo de' Fiori and Torre Argentina and are accessible only during special guided tours. Visitors can trace the semicircular shape of the structure by following the street layout above ground.
The complex included a large granite hall that extended toward the sacred area and offered audiences shelter between performances. This covered gallery connected the stage to a garden and represented an early version of a public foyer space.
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