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Bacoli | Roman Theatre — Bacoli
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Historical Sites 📍 Bacoli, Italy 186 views

Bacoli | Roman Theatre

Adjacent to the Sacello degli Augustali, the theatre is partly covered by modern buildings, but some features of the ambulatory and access to the steps are still recognizable, which on the top lean against the ridge of Punta Sarparella. It is currently entered from the lower ambu...

Bacoli | Roman Theatre — Bacoli, Italy.

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Bacoli
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Historical Sites
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About Bacoli | Roman Theatre

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Adjacent to the Sacello degli Augustali, the theatre is partly covered by modern buildings, but some features of the ambulatory and access to the steps are still recognizable, which on the top lean against the ridge of Punta Sarparella.

It is currently entered from the lower ambulatory with a covered hemicycle with a barrel vault, excavated in tuff and lined with opus vittatum; buried about half its height due to the effect of bradyseism, it has the entrance to the radial corridors with brick arch, which led to another semicircular gallery more internal. At the thirteenth corridor there is a rectilinear gallery, also half of its height buried. Finally, in the privately owned area there is a short stretch of the upper ambulatory and, at a higher altitude, the remains of a brick arch and a staircase, probably leading to the summa cavea.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Although partly covered by modern buildings, visitors can still recognize features of the ambulatory and access to the steps that lean against Punta Sarparella ridge. The most accessible section is the lower ambulatory with its covered hemicycle barrel vault excavated in tuff, along with brick arch entrances to radial corridors and a more internal semicircular gallery.
The theatre is buried about half its height due to bradyseism, a geological phenomenon of ground subsidence that affected the Campi Flegrei region over centuries. This natural process has preserved much of the structure but requires visitors to enter from the lower ambulatory to view the intact barrel vault and corridor system.
The theatre features a covered hemicycle with a barrel vault that leads to radial corridors with brick arches, which connect to a more internal semicircular gallery. At the thirteenth corridor, there is a rectilinear gallery, and in the privately-owned upper sections, you can find remains of brick arches and a staircase that likely led to the summa cavea (upper seating area).
Most of the lower ambulatory and main theatrical structures are accessible to visitors, but portions of the upper ambulatory remain in privately-owned areas and are not fully open to the public. The accessible sections provide good insight into the ancient Roman construction techniques and the theatre's original design.
Look for the opus vittatum (Roman masonry technique) lining the barrel vault, the brick arch entrances to the radial corridors, and the remains of the semicircular galleries that demonstrate Roman engineering. Don't miss the brick arch and staircase remains in the upper sections, which likely once led to the summa cavea where upper-class spectators would have sat.

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