The ancient Roman theatre of Autun

Built in the second half of the 1st century, the Roman theatre of Augustodunum is a monument of spectacles. Construction may date to the reign of Vespasian and the site has a diameter of 147.80 meters. It is located in Autun, a city founded before the start of our era.

The Roman theatre of Augustodunum was abandoned and used as a stone quarry. It was studied in the 19th and 20th centuries and restored at the beginning of the 20th century, specifically in 1909, to return it to its original vocation of hosting shows. A restoration campaign, accompanied by archaeological excavations, took place from 1933 to 1938.

Today, the Roman theatre of Autun is one of the largest in the region and one of the largest in the Roman world, following the theatre of Pompey in Rome and the theatre of Mandeure. It is one of three ancient monuments of Autun, alongside the pyramid of Couhard and the temple of Janus, that were included in the first list of protected historical monuments in 1840.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons