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In Cartagena's rich history, much of which can still be found in the city, the Roman Theater is seen as the undisputed pearl. Built between 5 and 1 BC by Emperor Augustus, the theater is strangely enough a landmark that the city has only recently been able to show off. The importance of the theater from an archaeological point of view is about as great as the bizarre way in which it was discovered in 1988. During work on the ruins of the Santa Maria la Vieja church, people accidentally stumbled upon the more than 2000 year old theater.
The public has only been able to enjoy this pearl from the distant past since the beginning of this century.
Excavations and renovation have revealed a lot. For example, we now know that the theater had a capacity of around 6,000 visitors. And that, as usual at the time, the semicircular circle was divided into three horizontal layers. These served to form a division between the different social strata of the population.
The archaeological work has also managed to reconstruct a timeline. This shows that a market was built over a large part of the theater in the third century. For this, materials from the theater were used. In the thirteenth century the church was built on the highest part, which was destroyed during the Spanish Civil War. Its ruin still sticks out like a pimple on the top layer of the theater.
The location is even more special if possible. The theater is built on the highest hill in Cartagena. If you are standing on one of the top rows, you can see the orchestra pit below and immediately behind it the construction of houses. Looking further, the rest of the city and the harbor unfold in a panoramic view.
For a look at the details from that time it makes sense to visit the museum. Its entrance is opposite the town hall at the Palace Pascual de Riquelme. This eventually leads to the theater via two underground tunnels. Along the way you will find two rooms with Roman utensils, photos, drawings, building materials and statues. The whole sheds a clear light on the history of the theater, the church and the palace. Finally, the remains of an old Roman house, complete with a floor mosaic, can be admired there.
