Juliobona (modern Lillebonne, France)

1st Century CE

Cavea Width: 109 meters
Orchestra Width: 48 meters

Juliobona (modern Lillebonne, France): N. facing Roman theatre. Cavea: Diameter 109 meters, built into side of hill, ambulacrum surrounds top of cavea, seating capacity 6,000. Orchestra: Diameter 48 meters, surrounded by 1.5 meter wall. Date: 2nd century. Remodeled in 3rd century. 

Juliobona Roman Theatre (modern Lillebonne, France)
T. Hines

The Roman theatre of Juliobona (now Lillebonne) in Seine-Maritime, Normandy, was built in the 2nd century CE. It is an atypical Roman theatre with a wide, oval orchestra. Limited excavations began in the late 19th century and continued well into the 21st century. The remains are primarily the foundations of two cavea tiers. Nothing remains of the stage or scene house. The theatre has not been restored.

The archeologist Vincenzo Mutarelli led the 2007 to 2009 excavation and concluded that the theatre evolved from a 2nd-century amphitheater whose cavea was partially removed and rebuilt with a new support system with increased capacity and a peripheral gallery supporting extra seating. The theatre was repurposed as a fortress during the Germanic invasions in 273 CE. Many entrances were sealed, and the city itself was fortified. During the Middle Ages, what remained of the theatre was incorporated into urban building projects until it was eventually reduced to its cavea foundation, buried beneath a hill. It was rediscovered in the 19th century.

Theatre Description:

The Cavea (seating area) was built into a hill, faces north, has a diameter of 109 meters, and seated approximately 5,000 spectators. “The lower cavea rests on a slope cut into a semicircular shape; an ambulacrum [covered walkway] with outer wall buttressed every 5 meters runs around top of cavea; from it radial passageways (vaulted or with wooden roofs?) lead to seating” (Sear 233).
The Arena/Orchestra measures 47.30 wide by 35.50  meters deep and is surrounded by double walls, 4 meters apart and 3.5 meters high. Sear speculates that the wall’s height was equal to that of the now-missing podium or stage (Sear 233).
The Stage and Scene House were probably on the north side of the arena but no longer exists. A modern road cuts through the remains of the arena and prevents any further excavations (Grenier).
Aditus maximi or large entrances led into the arena from the sides. They were 6 meters high and vaulted. The remains of the west aditus or monumental entrance contain numerous fragments of modillions, friezes, and sculpted columns. The east aditus most likely was similar but no longer exists (Sear 233).

Renovations: Archaeologist Vincenzo Mutarelli led excavations at Juliobona from 2007 to 2010 and identified four construction phases between the 1st and 3rd centuries CE. 

• State 1: The original small Roman-style theatre was replaced by a larger structure. In 1956, Albert Grenier suggested that the theatre evolved not from a classical theatre but from an amphitheatre whose cavea was partially removed.
• States 2 and 3: A “theatre-amphitheatre” replaced the initial structure with an orchestra that could also serve as an arena. The cavea was rebuilt with a new support system, and the arena took on an ellipsoidal shape. The third state saw increased capacity with a peripheral gallery supporting extra seating. Construction materials included small travertine blocks and bricks.
• State 4: During the Germanic invasions in the late 3rd century, the theatre was repurposed as a fortress. Many entrances were sealed, and the city itself was fortified. Baths were later built in the arena using repurposed stone from funerary monuments, though their purpose remains unclear. (Source: Vincenzo Mutarell0}

Excavations:

• The site was first recognized as a theatre in 1764 by the Count of Caylus.
• Initial excavations started in 1812 led to the site’s formal identification as a Roman theatre by François Rever.
• The theatre was acquired by the department of Seine-Inférieure in 1818 and listed in the first French historical monument list in 1840.
• Excavations occurred intermittently through the 19th and 20th centuries, with major work done between 1908-1915, 1935-1939, and after World War II.
• The site was neglected until 1960, prompting cleaning and new excavations under Maurice Yvart (1960-62) and Georges Duval (1974).
• In 2000, a conservation study was launched, leading to a final excavation campaign (2007-2009) led by Vincenzo Mutarelli, aimed at integrating the site into modern urban planning.
• Currently, the stage area, which is covered by a road, remains unstudied. The site is now open to the public and is available as a performance venue.

Bibliography / Resources:

Ancient Theatre of Lillebonne, Wikipedia. Accessed 5 Feb 2025. https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Th%C3%A9%C3%A2tre_antique_de_Lillebonne

History of Juliobona (modern Lillebonne, France). Accessed 8 Feb 2025. https://www.actuacity.com/lillebonne_76170/monuments/ville_173505. Accessed 19 Feb 2025.

Lillebonne, Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillebonne. Accessed 14 Feb 2026.

Mutarelli, Vincenzo. “The Roman theatre of Lillebonne. Study of sources and new excavation campaign”, Études de lettres. 2011, p.  223-262.

Sear, Frank, Roman Theatres: An Architectural Study, Oxford 2006. p. 23.