The seating
A semicircle.
Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Holger Uwe Schmitt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Holger Uwe Schmitt — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bybbisch94, Christian Gebhardt — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Roman Theatre of Cartagena stands in the Roman colony of Carthago Nova, today the city of Cartagena in the Region of Murcia, south-east Spain, about 3 km from the city centre in a straight line, close to the port. It was built between 5 and 1 BC, held some 6,000 spectators and was used for Roman theatrical performances. The Romans placed it on a hillside near the port, away from the unhealthy lagoon area, using the natural slope of the land. Stone seating rises in a semicircle up the hillside, facing the remains of the stage and its columns, ringed by the colourful houses of the modern city. The theatre lay buried under buildings for centuries until it was rediscovered in the late 20th century. Entry is through a modern museum displaying finds from the site, with underground passages leading out onto the seating. It sits in the old town, so it pairs easily with the harbour and the castle.
A semicircle.
The way in.
Underground.
Cartagena, Region of Murcia, Spain
About two hours.
The port and castle.