Roman Theatre of Orange, Orange

Roman Theatre of Orange was built early in the first century CE, and today hosts the Chorégies d'Orange, a summer opera festival. This is one of the best preserved Roman theaters in the Julian colony of Arausio, which was established by the soldiers of the second legion. UNESCO declared this a World Heritage Site in 1980. It is famous for varied dramatic forms, such as mime, pantomime, poetry readings, and attelana, a kind of farce similar to the commedia dell' arte. Roman audiences, who were allowed to attend free of charge, were fascinated by the spectacular and elaborate sets. The theater was originally used as a distraction for the colonies, to discourage them from political action. To visit Roman Theatre of Orange and get the most from your holiday in Orange, create itinerary details personal to you using our Orange trip planner.