Roman Theatre of Lecce, Roman theatre in historic center of Lecce, Italy
The Roman Theatre of Lecce is an ancient structure in the historic center of the city, with curved stone seating rows arranged in a semicircle facing a stage area. Only part of the original theatre has been uncovered so far, and sections of it still lie beneath the surrounding buildings.
The theatre was built in the 1st century AD, when the city was called Lupiae and was one of the more notable towns of Roman Apulia. Over the following centuries it was gradually covered by later construction and forgotten until it was accidentally rediscovered in the 20th century.
The theatre sits in the middle of the city, and passersby can look down at the ancient stone seating rows from street level without entering. This closeness between old stone and daily street life gives the site a role that goes beyond a standard visit to a ruin.
The site is easy to reach on foot from the main streets of the old town, as it sits in the heart of Lecce's historic center. Because only part of the theatre is open and excavated, it helps to take a slow walk around the perimeter to see the different sections.
A large part of the original structure remains buried beneath private buildings and public streets that were never removed after the 1929 discovery. What visitors see today is only a fraction of what the theatre once was in its full form.
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