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The Roman Theatre of Cartagena was over last Friday before Palm Sunday, during the open house, the 500,000 visitors since it opened just over three years.

The museum complex, which opened on July 11, 2008 after a long and complex process of recovery of the monument which culminated in the comprehensive project, designed by architect Rafael Moneo, has become an important cultural landmark and tourism, both in number of visitors as the surveys at national and European level, highlighting the Grand Prix Europa Nostra 2010 in the category of conservation.

In addition to its archaeological value, the Roman Theatre has restored to the modern city one of its most historic and give it a great cultural and scientific equipment, since the museum also has a hall, in these days of receiving various cultural events, and research rooms and library functions to develop the Center for the Study of Roman Architecture.

Along these lines, noting the collaboration agreements with the University of Murcia, which aim to promote this as a reference center of European classical archeology.

A TRIP TO THE ANTIGÃœEDAD

The discovery and excavation of the Roman Theatre of Cartagena has a very important event in the archaeological history of the city, revealing a unique monument of Ancient Hispania, which makes it difficult to understand, given its size, how it remained hidden for centuries.

The reuse of part of the scene as a market in the late Roman period and the partial overlap of Santa María la Vieja on the top of the theater, episodes that we value today as two of the characteristic features of interest in the archaeological site, show it has been a complex series of buildings in many different times that have made this area of ​​the city in a real history book.

The considerable wealth of artifacts found during successive excavations in the theater, also provided an opportunity to give the City a new museum space, the Roman Theatre Museum, which features the Palace of Riquelme and Pascual also includes the Church of Old St. Mary in the set.

The museum tour is raising awareness of the historical process that led to the discovery of the Roman Theatre.

In the corridor of history, precisely explained the urban evolution of the site of the theater, both illustrated with a selection of objects recovered from archaeological excavation and documentation and audiovisual.

The corridor runs directly into a large room of seven feet, Hall 1, which provides the framework for the display of the elements that make up the monumental architecture of the theater of Cartagena.

The height of the room allowed to recreate the first order of the scenic facade with original features.

The Corinthian capitals carved in Carrara marble reproduce the models developed in the official architecture of the Urbs, in the years preceding the change was.

The bases made in the same material as the capitals are of a compound or double roof and columns are pink travertine, from the quarries of the Cerro de la Almagra (Mula) about fifty miles from Cartagena.

Besides the stone elements of the scenic facade, made by craftsmen first class bases are exposed on the capitals of the post porticus scaenam, in this case made in local sandstone.

The building's architecture and quality materials make it a magnificent example of public and monumental building industry time of Augustus, whose image wearing evening gown and head over the living room as a benefactor of the city.

Through an escalator leads to the second room, the larger of the museum.

This room allows visitors adentrase knowledge of the functions of theater in antiquity, as well as its recreational function the theater building was the perfect architectural framework for political and religious propaganda of the emperor.

In the building, the message inscribed on the memorial stone and merge to fulfill this mission, as exemplified by commemorative lintels crowned the gates, now exposed in this great hall.

Therefore, it is known that the theater was dedicated to the two young princes, Gaius and Lucius Caesar, grandsons of Augustus and his heirs virtual, who also had to participate in financing the building and probably in the choice of ornamental program.

A decorative program loaded with ideological messages among which the introduction of religion to the traditional deities of the Roman State, through three altars where the symbols of the Capitoline Triad, pieces carved in marble of Luni of great excellence, which preside over the middle of the room.

The room 2 binds to the corridor under the church of Santa María la Vieja, where housing is preserved Roman mosaic amortized for the construction of the theater as well as terracing walls of the early church of the thirteenth century and other medieval remains.

This corridor also has a fundamental mission for the architect, to prepare the visitor for contemplation to be the end of his journey: a complete view of the Theatre, as magnificent as unexpected.

Source: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena