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The Campo dei Fiori

The Theatre of Pompey

 

If you look to the cinema at the southern end, behind Bruno, this was the site of the original Roman Theatre of Pompey. The exposed façade is of the palazzo built by the Orsini family in the 1500’s, now occupied by apartments and a campus of the University of Washington.

 

The theatre, dedicated in 55 BCE, was the first permanent theatre in ancient Rome and was itself built on the ruins of the Temple of Venus. You can see some of the foundations of the original theatre in the restaurant at the end of the small Piazza Biscioni (“Large eel” ... a reference to the crest of the Orsini family) at the back left of the Campo, which has a basement with some interesting excavations. I can't recommend the food, but the ruins are well worth a look. Go further into that piazza and you will see at the end, a small double gate under an archway. This leads through to a street with buildings that still follow the curving foundations of the theatre.

 

The theatre was part of a much larger temple complex that stretched right through to the Largo Argentina. It was in a portico of this complex, now exposed in the Largo, that Julius Caesar was murdered.

 

 

 

 

The old, mostly residential buildings in this area give little hint that you are walking through the once splendid gardens and temples of the theatre.

 

 

 

 

​

More details of its connection with the Largo Argentina follow below.

 

The model (above) shows how large an area the theatre extended (white curved building at centre) with its extended portico and covered gardens. The Campo dei Fiori is roughly in the area in white just to its left. The arena of the Navona can be seen (in white) above that.

 

The Theatre of Pompey, was built during the later part of the Roman Republican era. Dedicated early in 55 BCE, it was completed in seven years and was one of the first permanent (non-wooden) theatres in Rome.

 

The theatre was part of a multi-use complex that included a large four sided portico or quadrangle and a three story high proscenium behind the stage. Enclosed by the large columned porticos was an expansive garden complex of fountains and statues. Along the stretch of covered arcade were rooms dedicated to the exposition of art and other works collected by Pompey Magnus during his campaigns.

 

On the opposite end of the garden complex, now partly exposed in the Largo Argentina (left), was a curia for political meetings. The senate would often use this building, along with a number of temples and halls that satisfied the requirements for their formal meetings. This is infamous as the place of Julius Caesar's murder by the ‘Liberatores’ of the Roman Senate and elite.

 

The remains of the east side of the quadriporticus and three of four temples from an earlier period often associated with the theatre can be seen in the Largo di Torre Argentina. The fourth temple remains largely covered by the modern streets of Rome. This archaeological site was excavated by order of Mussolini in the 1920's and 1930's after building works exposed the ruins. Today, the Largo is a cat sanctuary (with, unfortunately, the associated smell) surrounded by busy traffic and is in a sad state of semi-restoration.

 

Incidentally, there is a law in Rome that allows cats to live without disruption in the place where they were born…. hence the number of cats inhabiting ruins.

 

The History of the Theatre of Pompey:

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus paid for this theatre to gain political popularity during his second consulship. The theatre was inspired by Pompey's visit in 62 BCE to a Greek theatre in Mytilene. Construction began around 61 BCE and the theatre was dedicated in 55 BCE. It was the largest theatre the Romans had ever built at any time or place. It retained Pompey's name throughout its active history of more than 600 years.

 

The structure and connecting quadrangles had multiple uses. The building had the largest crypt of all the Roman theatres. This area, located behind the stage and within an enclosure, was used by patrons between acts or productions to stroll, purchase refreshments or just to escape to the covered porticos from the sun or rain.

 

The Porticus Pompei contained statues of great artists and actors. Long arcades exhibited collections of paintings and sculpture and a large space suitable for holding public gatherings and meetings made the area an attraction to Romans for many reasons. Lavish fountains were fed by water from a nearby aqueduct and stored. It is not known if the water supply would have been enough to run the water works for more than a few hours a day, or if some other supply allowed the fountains to run nearly nonstop.

 

​

 

During the theatre's long history the structure endured several restorations due mainly to fire. The theatre was still in use during the reign of Theoderic the Great in the late 5th C.CE. The last recorded repairs were in 507-511. Following the destructive Roman-Gothic wars of 535-554 there was no need for a large theatre because the population of Rome had declined drastically. The marble façade was used as material to maintain other buildings. Being located near the Tiber, the building was also regularly flooded, which caused further damage. The concrete core remained standing in the 9th C., when it was listed as a theatre in a German description of the ancient monuments of Rome.

 

In the 11th C. the ruins were converted into two churches and houses. However, the floor plan of the old theatre was still recognizable. Around 1150 the powerful Orsini family bought all buildings on the site of the theatre and transformed them into a large fortress. Later in the Middle Ages the square of Campo dei Fiori was built and the remaining parts of the theatre were quarried to supply stone for many newer buildings which still exist in modern Rome.

 

Today:

​

 

The 4* Hotel Lunetta on Piazza del Paradiso (at the end of via del Biscione) went through a 3 year restoration/renovation from 2008-2011 and when they reopened, they revealed the walls from the lower level of the theatre exterior. The engineering is amazing. The Superintendent of Archeology in Rome would not allow any structure to attach to the ancient walls and so the Hotel Lunetta suspended a ceiling over the theater walls and attached it to the upper levels of the hotel.

 

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The Campo dei Fiori

The Theatre of Pompey

 

If you look to the cinema at the southern end, behind Bruno, this was the site of the original Roman Theatre of Pompey. The exposed façade is of the palazzo built by the Orsini family in the 1500’s, now occupied by apartments and a campus of the University of Washington.

 

The theatre, dedicated in 55 BCE, was the first permanent theatre in ancient Rome and was itself built on the ruins of the Temple of Venus. You can see some of the foundations of the original theatre in the restaurant at the end of the small Piazza Biscioni (“Large eel” ... a reference to the crest of the Orsini family) at the back left of the Campo, which has a basement with some interesting excavations. I can't recommend the food, but the ruins are well worth a look. Go further into that piazza and you will see at the end, a small double gate under an archway. This leads through to a street with buildings that still follow the curving foundations of the theatre.

 

The theatre was part of a much larger temple complex that stretched right through to the Largo Argentina. It was in a portico of this complex, now exposed in the Largo, that Julius Caesar was murdered.

 

The old, mostly residential buildings in this area give little hint that you are walking through the once splendid gardens and temples of the theatre.

 

More details of its connection with the Largo Argentina follow below.

 

The model (above) shows how large an area the theatre extended (white curved building at centre) with its extended portico and covered gardens. The Campo dei Fiori is roughly in the area in white just to its left. The arena of the Navona can be seen (in white) above that.

 

The Theatre of Pompey, was built during the later part of the Roman Republican era. Dedicated early in 55 BCE, it was completed in seven years and was one of the first permanent (non-wooden) theatres in Rome.

 

The theatre was part of a multi-use complex that included a large four sided portico or quadrangle and a three story high proscenium behind the stage. Enclosed by the large columned porticos was an expansive garden complex of fountains and statues. Along the stretch of covered arcade were rooms dedicated to the exposition of art and other works collected by Pompey Magnus during his campaigns.

 

On the opposite end of the garden complex, now partly exposed in the Largo Argentina (left), was a curia for political meetings. The senate would often use this building, along with a number of temples and halls that satisfied the requirements for their formal meetings.

 

This is infamous as the place of Julius Caesar's murder by the ‘Liberatores’ of the Roman Senate and elite.

 

The remains of the east side of the quadriporticus and three of four temples from an earlier period often associated with the theatre can be seen in the Largo di Torre Argentina. The fourth temple remains largely covered by the modern streets of Rome. This archaeological site was excavated by order of Mussolini in the 1920's and 1930's after building works exposed the ruins. Today, the Largo is a cat sanctuary (with, unfortunately, the associated smell) surrounded by busy traffic and is in a sad state of semi-restoration.

 

Incidentally, there is a law in Rome that allows cats to live without disruption in the place where they were born…. hence the number of cats inhabiting ruins.

 

The History of the Theatre of Pompey

 

Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus paid for this theatre to gain political popularity during his second consulship. The theatre was inspired by Pompey's visit in 62 BCE to a Greek theatre in Mytilene. Construction began around 61 BCE and the theatre was dedicated in 55 BCE. It was the largest theatre the Romans had ever built at any time or place. It retained Pompey's name throughout its active history of more than 600 years.

 

The structure and connecting quadrangles had multiple uses. The building had the largest crypt of all the Roman theatres. This area, located behind the stage and within an enclosure, was used by patrons between acts or productions to stroll, purchase refreshments or just to escape to the covered porticos from the sun or rain.

 

The Porticus Pompei contained statues of great artists and actors. Long arcades exhibited collections of paintings and sculpture and a large space suitable for holding public gatherings and meetings made the area an attraction to Romans for many reasons. Lavish fountains were fed by water from a nearby aqueduct and stored. It is not known if the water supply would have been enough to run the water works for more than a few hours a day, or if some other supply allowed the fountains to run nearly nonstop.

 

​

 

During the theatre's long history the structure endured several restorations due mainly to fire. The theatre was still in use during the reign of Theoderic the Great in the late 5th C.CE. The last recorded repairs were in 507-511. Following the destructive Roman-Gothic wars of 535-554 there was no need for a large theatre because the population of Rome had declined drastically. The marble façade was used as material to maintain other buildings. Being located near the Tiber, the building was also regularly flooded, which caused further damage. The concrete core remained standing in the 9th C., when it was listed as a theatre in a German description of the ancient monuments of Rome.

 

In the 11th C. the ruins were converted into two churches and houses. However, the floor plan of the old theatre was still recognizable. Around 1150 the powerful Orsini family bought all buildings on the site of the theatre and transformed them into a large fortress. Later in the Middle Ages the square of Campo dei Fiori was built and the remaining parts of the theatre were quarried to supply stone for many newer buildings which still exist in modern Rome.

 

Today:

​

The 4* Hotel Lunetta on Piazza del Paradiso (at the end of via del Biscione) went through a 3 year restoration/renovation from 2008-2011 and when they reopened, they revealed the walls from the lower level of the theatre exterior. The engineering is amazing. The Superintendent of Archeology in Rome would not allow any structure to attach to the ancient walls and so the Hotel Lunetta suspended a ceiling over the theater walls and attached it to the upper levels of the hotel.

 

The Campo dei Fiori