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The Roman Theatre of Volterra is located in the archaeological area of Vallebuona, near the medieval walls. Its construction was financed by the Caecina family. The excavations carried out since 1950 on the initiative of Enrico Fiumi have made it possible to date the construction of the theater around the end of the first century BC, and have brought to light a part of the original staircases made using the natural slope, in a style similar to that of Greek theaters. To date, it is possible to observe 19 rows of seats in the central and lower sectors; due to its size, the entire theater had to hold about 3500 spectators.
In the Middle Ages, in the thirteenth century, the building was cut in two by the urban walls, which placed its foundations on the upper part of the cavea, incorporating the access area to the theater itself, no longer visible today. Following the construction of the theater is the construction of a vast portico that assumed, in its final draft, a quadrangular plan, with apses on two sides. Currently the uncovered area of this quadriportico incorporates the remains of a spa complex of late antiquity, built after the theater had been abandoned, at the end of the III of .C..
Conservation Status
The very nature of the theater makes it structurally fragile, leaning as it is against a hill that constantly threatens to collapse. The cavea, in particular, needs continuous maintenance and careful control by the Superintendence and the Municipality. On the other hand, ordinary and extraordinary maintenance operations are carried out annually, however, they cannot compensate for its fragility. The support for this operation aims at the restoration of some critical areas in order to enhance the site itself, and a tangible expansion of its use.
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