Cales (modern Calvi Ristora)

100 BCE

Cavea Width: 75 meters
Orchestra Width: 27 meters

Roman Cales theatre (modern Calvi Risorta, Italy). One of the earliest free-standing theatres in Rome. Cavea: SE facing; D 75.4 m; lower seating supported by 12 barrel vaults, upper seating supported by 24 barrel vaults; only seating supports remain; seating capacity unknown. Semi-circular orchestra: W 27.4 m, surrounded by curved passage and balteus wall. Orchestra: D c.27.40 m; surrounded by a curved passage and balteus wall. Stage length 41 m; width 7.79 m. 8 aulaeum slots visible. Scaenae frons: exceptionally broad and shallow regia niche. Stage building excavated (2002). (Sear, p 121). Theatre dates from beginning of 1st century B.C. (Sullan); Second phase (including portico): 1st century A.D. (Augustan). (Denard, “The Pompey Project”)

Cales Theatre (modern Calvi Risorta, Italy)

Introduction

The ancient theatre of Cales is situated in modern-day Calvi Risorta in the province of Caserta, Campania region of southern Italy. Located at precise GPS coordinates 41.2001, 14.13189, the theatre was strategically positioned close to the city walls on the north-west side of the ancient settlement (Sear 121). The theatre formed an integral part of the civic center of Cales, an important Roman colony established in 334 BCE, and stood in proximity to other public buildings that constituted the forum complex (Johannowsky 260).

History

The theatre at Cales has a complex construction history spanning multiple centuries. Archaeological evidence indicates initial construction occurred in the 2nd century BCE, marking it as one of the earlier permanent theatre structures in Roman Italy (Johannowsky 261). The structure underwent significant enlargement between 90-70 BCE, coinciding with the period following the Social War when many Campanian cities saw intensive building programs to reflect their new status under Roman rule (Sear 121).

This early date places the Cales theatre among the first generation of permanent stone theatres in the Italian peninsula, preceding even Pompey’s famous theatre in Rome (built 55-52 BCE), which is often cited as the first permanent stone theatre in Rome itself (Welch 65). The scene building visible today dates to the Imperial period, reflecting later Roman architectural standards (Maiuri 74).

Theatre Specifications

The following specifications are drawn from Frank Sear’s reference book, Roman Theatres: An Architectural Study, Oxford University Press, 2006, except where otherwise noted.

Location

• GPS coordinates: 41.2001, 14.13189
• Orientation: facing east-south-east
• Position: built close to the walls on the north-west side of the city
• Topographical details: the theatre utilizes the natural slope of the terrain, with additional substructures to achieve the required height (Sear 121)

Cavea (seating area)

• Diameter: 75.4 meters (Sear 121)
• Estimated seating capacity: approximately 4,500-5,000 spectators (based on standard calculations for Roman theatres of similar size) (Gros 285)
• Division of seating: likely followed the traditional Roman division into ima, media, and summa cavea (lower, middle, and upper seating sections)
• Construction: supported by an elaborate system of 12 rising barrel vaults that extend from the orchestra (Sear 121)
• Support structures: the vaults rise and widen for 12.5 meters from the orchestra, reaching a height of 5.1 meters and width of 5.72 meters
• Access points: at this point, the vaults double to 24 and continue rising until they meet a curved wall at 17.85 meters from the orchestra
• At the curved wall intersection, the vaults reach a height of 7.3 meters and width of 3.1 meters
• An annular passage (circular corridor) runs along the top of the curved wall, accessible via staircases located in the 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th bays
• Beyond the curved wall, radial vaults continue rising approximately 4 meters further to support the summa cavea (upper seating section)
• The openings at the rim of the cavea measure approximately 11.6 meters in height and 4.1 meters in width (Sear 121)

Orchestra (performance space)

• Diameter: approximately 27 meters (Sear 121)
• The orchestra (performance space) is surrounded by a curved passage and balteus wall (low dividing wall)
• Diameter at the balteus wall: 23.80 meters
• While Sear does not specify the paving materials, typical Roman theatres of this period utilized either packed earth, stone slabs, or decorative marble depending on the theatre’s prestige and period of construction (Frézouls 365)

Pulpitum (stage)

• Length: 41.01 meters (Sear 121)
• Width to scaenae frons (stage building façade): 7.79 meters
• Proscaenium (front of stage): 1.17 meters wide
• The sides feature steps up to the stage (1.50 meters wide)
• The front of the stage (proscaenium) incorporated a series of niches of varying shapes and depths: a small deep rectangular niche, a shallower rectangular niche, a curved niche, another shallower rectangular niche, and in the middle, a wide deep rectangular niche (Sear 121)
• Aulaeum (stage curtain) mechanism: eight slots are visible in the stage floor, indicating the presence of a sophisticated curtain system typical of Roman theatres

Scaenae Frons (stage building façade)

• Features an exceptionally broad and shallow regia niche (central niche) measuring 18.39 meters wide (Sear 121)
• The sides of the scaenae frons are rectilinear, though Sear notes that a complete plan was not available at the time of publication
• The current scene building dates to the Imperial period, suggesting it likely followed canonical Roman architectural orders and decorative schemes common in that era (Johannowsky 263)

Access Points:

• An annular passage running along the curved wall that divided the seating sections
• Staircases located in the 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th bays of the substructure (Sear 121)
• The vomitoria (access passageways) would have connected to the external walkways and the annular passage (Gros 290)

Current Status

The theatre at Cales presents a mixed state of preservation. According to Sear’s 2006 assessment, the cavea is well-preserved, though only the footings of the seats survive. The 2002 excavations fully exposed the scene building, providing a more complete understanding of the theatre’s original appearance and function (Sear 121).

The site is part of the archaeological park of ancient Cales and is accessible to visitors, though it does not receive the same level of tourist traffic as more famous Roman theatres in Campania such as those at Pompeii and Herculaneum. There have been conservation efforts to stabilize and preserve the remaining structures, though detailed information on recent conservation work is limited in the available sources (Ciancio Rossetto and Pisani Sartorio 102).

While the theatre is not individually listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it falls under the broader protection of Italian cultural heritage laws as an important archaeological monument.

Renovations

Based on the available archaeological evidence, the theatre underwent at least three major construction phases:

1. Initial construction in the 2nd century BCE as noted by Johannowsky (261)
2. First enlargement between 90-70 BCE, likely in response to the growing population and importance of Cales (Sear 121)
3. Later Imperial-era renovation and reconstruction of the scene building, which brought the theatre in line with contemporary Roman architectural standards (Johannowsky 263)

Archaeological Excavations

The theatre at Cales has been the subject of archaeological investigation since the mid-20th century. Amedeo Maiuri, a prominent Italian archaeologist, conducted early studies of the site, published in his 1940 work “Passeggiate campane” (Maiuri 74). More systematic excavations were carried out under the direction of Werner Johannowsky, whose findings were published in the Bollettino d’Arte in 1961.

The most recent significant excavations occurred in 2002, which focused on fully uncovering the scene building (Sear 121). These excavations revealed the full extent of the stage structure and provided valuable insights into the theatre’s construction techniques and chronology.

Remains: well-preserved cavea; only footings of seats survive; scene building now excavated (2002).

Bibliography / Resources:

CALES – CALVI RISORTA (Campania). Romano Impero. omanoimpero.com/2020/08/cales-calvi-risorta-campania.html. Accessed 3, 3, 2023.

Ciancio Rossetto, Paola, and Giuseppina Pisani Sartorio, eds. Teatri greci e romani: alle origini del linguaggio rappresentato. Rome: SEAT, 1994, pp. 99-103.

Denard, Hugh. Cales:The Pompey Project: https://www.pompey.cch.kcl.ac.uk/Italian%20Theatres_files/cales.htm. Accessed 3, 10, 2023.

Frézouls, Edmond. “Aspects de l’histoire architecturale du théâtre romain.” Aufstieg und Niedergang der römischen Welt II.12.1, 1982, pp. 343-441.

Gros, Pierre. L’architecture romaine du début du IIIe siècle av. J.-C. à la fin du Haut-Empire. Vol. 1. Paris: Picard, 1996, pp. 272-307.

Johannowsky, Werner. “Relazione preliminare sugli scavi di Cales.” Bollettino d’Arte 46, 1961, pp. 258-268.

Maiuri, Amedeo. Passeggiate campane. Vol. 2. Rome: Libreria dello Stato, 1940, pp. 69-82.

Mitens, Klaus. Teatri Greci e Teatri Ispirati all’Architettura Greca in Sicilia e nell’Italia Meridionale c. 350-50 a.C. Rome: L’Erma di Bretschneider, 1988, pp. 154-155.

Sear, Frank. Roman Theatres: An Architectural Study. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006, p. 121.

Tosi, Giovanna. Gli edifici per spettacoli nell’Italia romana. Rome: Quasar, 2003, pp. 187-190.

Welch, Katherine. The Roman Amphitheatre: From Its Origins to the Colosseum. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007, pp. 65-72.

Zanker, Paul. The Power of Images in the Age of Augustus. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1988, pp. 143-152.