Teatro romano di Teramo

The Roman theatre of Interamnia Praetuttiorum lies beneath and among later buildings in central Teramo. Its cavea measured about 78 metres across and could accommodate roughly three thousand spectators; the remains reveal the structure of a large Roman performance venue.

Why it matters

The theatre is one of the most substantial surviving features of ancient Teramo. Later construction obscured much of the monument, but its vaulted supports and fragments of architectural decoration still show how the building was organised. The nearby Roman amphitheatre is a separate structure, allowing the two forms of public entertainment to be distinguished within the same ancient city.

What to notice

The seating rested on a concrete core supported by a double ring of stone pillars. A barrel-vaulted corridor connected twenty-one radial sections, with stairways leading up through the cavea. A remnant of travertine paving survives at the orchestra, while carved fragments from the stage building include Corinthian elements and decorated cornices.

Context and history

The theatre stood outside the republican walls on the western side of Interamnia. Its layout and architectural decoration are associated with the Augustan period, while parts of the masonry show later renewal during the Trajanic era. After antiquity, buildings grew over the site, and the theatre was confused with the neighbouring amphitheatre. Excavations beginning in 1926 helped distinguish the two monuments and recover parts of the theatre's plan.