One of the icons of Rome is the famous Theatre of Marcellus, which so much resembles the Coliseum (for this reason is also known as Small Coliseum), but that, in fact, played a social role that is completely different! Moreover it is simply one of the most beautiful ancient monuments of the ancient Rome, something that still today we can appreciate.

The first who would a masonry theatre was Julius Caesar, who did not hesitate to sweep away a temple dedicated to the goddess Pietas ("Pity"). For this reason it was also harshly criticized but, after all, sometimes you pass over everything and everyone for the well-being of the city and for a good propaganda. Nice to know how Julius Caesar reused, in order to obtain his new theatre, the Circo Flaminio, one of the most ancient circuses of Rome. Basically he started from the curve side of the building to have the theatre. A way to reuse something that already existed, in order to save time, money and raw materials. However was not Julius Caesar but Augustus who completed the work, dedicating it to his nephew, Marcello, who died at a young age. Considering that, it seems, he was the favorite of Augustus, the succession to the throne, maybe the young Marcello died not for natural reasons... but at the end we have this wonderful building!

The Theatre of Marcellus could accommodate about 15,000 spectators, and around to the auditorium there were 36 bronze vessels which were useful for the acoustics of the place: the sound waves could bounce from vessel to vessel, giving the opportunity to all viewers to hear what the actors were saying. Always clever these romans who, among other things, added at the foundations a large concrete base up to 6 meters height, that is useful to make more waterproof and resistant the structure, which is still today not very far from the banks of the Tiber river. The marble tiers on which sat the spectators were basically located on a skeleton of rock and masonry, a large part can clearly still be viewed today. The last restorations and cleanups, among other things, make the overview better giving us, in my opinion, a glance that is unique in the world.

Finally it is important to remember as the Theatre of Marcellus, of which we see two-order arches, was the main subject of heavy restorations. In the XVI century even the third order was radically transformed into a private residence by the Orsini family, one of the most active and rich clans since the Middle Ages to the Renaissance age in Rome. You distinctly notice where the ancient structures of the original theatre end, and where the “new” element of the private apartments of the noble family begin. As often happens, the ancient mixed with the modern...