Theatre of Marcellus

After testing the Bocca della Verita, we took the opportunity to continue our walk through Rome. We took the Via Luigi Petroselli and arrived directly at the Theatre of Marcellus.

Unlike the mighty Colosseum, the Theatre of Marcellus remains a bit hidden in the background, ready for those who chose to visit. The theater once had a capacity for over 10,000 spectators and was also once the largest in the city. It was inaugurated by the Emperor Augustus who named it after his nephew Marcellus who died under mysterious circumstances a few years later, but it was actually Julius Caesar who ordered its construction.

This is an ancient Roman theatre that's in a partial state of preservation. It was built by Julius Caesar but finished by Augustus between 13-11BC. It was dedicated to Marcus Claudius Marcellus, nephew of Augustus, who later died. The theatre was damaged in a fire and again during the battles between Vitellius and Vespasian and finally abandoned in the early 4th century. After its abandonment, the stones were used to repair the Cestio Bridge and it was later transformed into a fortress, luckily preventing further destruction. In the 13th century, the building was occupied by the noble Savelli family and then fell into the hands of the Orsini family in the 18th century.

What is a trompe l'oeil? It is a visual deception made with a drawing or piece of architecture. These are much more common than they seem in Rome.

The Theatre of Marcellus, though, is the real deal.The ruins of the Roman theater were used to build a palace occupied by the Savelli and Orsini families until the 1920's when they left and the place was restored. I always thought that it was impossible for anyone to live there and it was all just a lie, but this is actually the truth!

Es muy impresionante.
llegamos con mi familia a través de un tour guiado gratuito. free walk tour con Karla. lo recomiendo.
el teatro es muy llamativo y tiene una historia muy atractiva. les recomiendo visitarlo.

This is an ancient Roman theater which is close to Vittoriano and worth visiting. It’s partially preserved and free to visit. It was built by Julius Caesar and finished by Augustus. The Porticus Octaviae is just around the corner and also makes for an interesting visit.