The Archaeological Site of the Roman Theater of Ancient Florentia

Overview

Discover an almost forgotten part of ancient Florence: visit the remains of this vast Roman theater that could hold over 15,000 spectators during its golden age.

The Roman theater of Florentia subsequently fell into a state of abandon, was buried by building projects and the expansion of the Palazzo Vecchio. Through six years of archeological excavations, Florentia’s ancient theater has been uncovered.
 Join us on this guided tour that will lead you over a series of catwalks for a look at the fascinating remains of the Roman Theater under the Palazzo Vecchio.

Guided Visit (upon reservation only):

October 1 to June 14:

Monday at 2:30pm, 3:15pm, 4:00pm and 4:45pm

Saturday at 10:00am, 10:45am, 11:30am and 12:15pm

June 15 to September 30:

Mondays and Sundays: 3:00pm, 3:30pm, 4:30pm, 5:15pm

Duration of visit: 45 minutes



Maximum number of people: 25

Languages: Italian, English, French and Spanish



Please note:

The excavation site is partially accessible to motor disabled persons (with companion)

For security reasons the site is not accessible to children under 8 years old.

PLEASE NOTE: Immediately after submitting an order, you will receive an email with your order summary plus a second email confirming your successful payment. A confirmation email with links to the vouchers will be sent one business day after you place your order (Monday afternoon for orders submitted on Friday and during the weekend). Please make sure that your anti-spam filter does not block automatic emails from help@

Discover an almost forgotten part of ancient Florence: visit the remains of this vast Roman theater that could hold over 15,000 spectators during its golden age.

The Roman theater of Florentia subsequently fell into a state of abandon, was buried by building projects and the expansion of the Palazzo Vecchio. Through six years of archeological excavations, Florentia’s ancient theater has been uncovered.
 Join us on this guided tour that will lead you over a series of catwalks for a look at the fascinating remains of the Roman Theater under the Palazzo Vecchio.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The time you select on the order form is your preferred time. The museum or attraction will automatically confirm the closest available time, which can be any time during opening hours on the selected date, if your preferred time is no longer available.

Cancellation Policy:

Once a confirmation code has been assigned to the reservation we can refund the cost of unused tickets minus a service fee (reservation fee and online booking fee).

Videoguide Tablet for Palazzo Vecchio

It is possible to add to the service the reservation of a Videoguide for Palazzo Vecchio: a modern tablet, 7 inches long with headset, that can be picked up at the Info Point of the Museum of Palazzo Vecchio.

Characteristics:
- Interactive Map of the Palace
- 60 minutes of video contents available in 5 languages (English, Italian, Spanish, French and German).
- 3D reconstructions (including the Salone dei Cinquecento, the Green Room and The Room of Maps)
- Photo Gallery: 60 zoomable pictures in high resolution

Details

Discover the almost forgotten past of ancient Florence: visit the remains of a vast Roman theater that could hold over 15,000 spectators during its golden age!

The Roman theater of Florentia remained active until the fifth century, after which it was abandoned and forgotten -- buried by building projects and the expansion of Palazzo Vecchio. Its remains began to gradually re-surface in the nineteenth century, when Florence became the Kingdom of Italy’s capital in 1865. At this time, the city’s urban landscape was subject to a far-reaching series of modernization projects.


The Roman theater of Florentia was originally designed to host 7,000 spectators. However, historians estimate that the theater was enlarged to host anywhere from 10,000 to 15,000 audience members during the Imperial Age when the city was subject to magnificent urban restructuring.

The vestiges of Roman theater of Florentia extend over a vast underground area under the Palazzo Vecchio and the Palazzo Gondi. Its auditorium faces the Piazza della Signoria, while its stage runs along the Via dei Leoni.

Through six years of archeological excavations, Florentia’s ancient theater has been uncovered.


The project sparked the re-discovery of several corridors or “burelle”, including the vomitorium (a central corridor that spectators used to access the theater). Additionally, the internal edge of the orchestra platform is now visible. Unlike in Greece, the orchestra space in Roman theater did not host the chorus but was instead reserved for the authorities.

Archaeologists also found a set of amphora used for food storage that had been broken and re-used for water drainage. These artifacts proved fundamental to historians who were consequently able to trace the construction of the “burelle” to the late first century or early second century AD.

It is likely that the theater’s original nucleus dates back to the Roman colony’s foundation at the end of the first century BC. The structure was probably enlarged later. Above the theater’s Imperial Roman remains, experts uncovered various stratifications, spotlighting Medieval structures (12th – 14th centuries) including wells, dwelling foundations and other buildings.

One such example is the street front of a building with medieval doors and pavement. It was included as part of the Palazzo della Signoria’s 16th century expansion toward the Via dei Gondi and the Via de’ Leoni.

Prices

Full Price

Reduced Price

Reduced Price 1: People between 18 and 25 years old, and over 65 years old



PLEASE NOTE: No free tickets are available.

The ticket includes a guided tour of the excavations and open access to the museum without a guide

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