Soluntum (modern Solunto, Sicily, Italy)

350 BCE

Cavea Width: 40 meters
Orchestra Width: 10 meters

The Soluntum Theatre, located in modern Solunto, Sicily, Italy (ancient Soluntum), is a Hellenistic-Roman theatre originally 35 m in diameter and later enlarged to 46.60 m; it features 23 rows of seats (originally 14) in 4 cunei (originally 2), faces east, and had a capacity of 1,500-1,800 spectators. The orchestra measured 14 m in diameter (later reduced to 10 m), initially paved in beaten earth and later raised and repaved with cocciopesto. Constructed in the mid-4th century BCE with significant alterations approximately a century later, the theatre represents an excellent example of Greek theatrical design with polygonal walls and a semicircular cavea exceeding a semicircle. Currently, the partially exposed ruins are difficult to discern among the archaeological site, with no significant modern restorations.

Soluntum (modern Soluto, Sicily, Italy) 

The partially exposed ruins of Soluntum’s small Hellenistic-Roman theatre are located 20 kilometers southeast of Palermo on the coast of Sicily. The archaeological site is located high above the modern city of Solunto, Italy, on the southeastern foothills of Mount Catalfano. The archaeological remains that have survived to this day are related to the 4th century BCE Hellenistic-Roman city, which replaced the Phoenician settlement that dates back at least to the 7th century BCE. The Punic name of the town was simply Kapara, meaning “Village”. The Greek name appears in surviving coins as Solontînos but appears variously in other sources as Solóeis, Soloûs, and Solountînos (Mitens 113).

Brief History of the City

Soluntum was one of the three chief Phoenician settlements in Sicily, founded around the 7th century BCE. The Punic name of the town was simply “Kapara,” meaning “Village” (“Soluntum History”). The original Phoenician settlement was destroyed at the beginning of the 4th century BCE and later re-founded on its present site atop Monte Catalfano. Greek soldiers were settled there at the end of the 4th century BCE, creating a multicultural environment where Greek and Punic traditions mixed (Tusa, “Sicilia Archeologica” 7).

In 254 BCE, during the First Punic War, the Romans conquered Soluntum, which subsequently became a Roman municipium. Under Roman rule, the city flourished, particularly during the 2nd and 1st centuries BCE when extensive construction provided it with typical buildings of a Hellenistic city, including the theatre (Sear 190).

Brief History of the Theatre

The theatre at Soluntum was constructed in the mid-4th century BCE with significant alterations occurring approximately a century later (Sear 190). It was built during the period of Greek influence in the city but later adapted to Roman theatrical conventions. The theatre was ultimately abandoned and built over by the 1st century BCE (Sear 191), reflecting the changing patterns of urban development in Soluntum.

Architectural 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

• Modern city, Country: Solunto, Sicily, Italy
• GPS coordinates: 38.09418, 13.53191 (Sear 190)
• Orientation: Faces east (Sear 190)

Cavea (seating area)

• Diameter: Originally 35 m, later enlarged to 46.60 m (Sear 190)
• Estimated capacity: 1,500-1,800 spectators (“Soluntum History”)
• Seating divisions: Initially 14 rows of seats in 2 cunei; later modified to 23 rows (0.38 x 0.71 m) in 4 cunei (Sear 190)
• Construction materials and techniques: Seats 38 cm high; built against natural slope of the hill (“Soluntum History”)
• Substructures: Built against the hillside slope; central part of the cavea (koilon) was excavated in the rock, while the two wings (particularly the northern one) probably had high substructures (“Soluntum History”)

Orchestra (performance space between audience and stage)

• Dimensions: Diameter 14 m, later reduced to 10 m (“Soluntum History”)
• Shape and materials: Circular; originally paved in beaten earth; later raised 0.25 m and paved in cocciopesto (Roman building material made from tiles broken up into very small pieces, mixed with mortar, and then beaten down with a rammer) (Sear 190)
• Special features: Surrounded by a drain running under scene building (Sear 190)

Pulpitum (stage)

• Dimensions: L 12 m, W 2.40 m (Sear 190)
• Construction details: The stage was separated from the cavea by two corridors (paradoi) (“Soluntum History”)

Scaenae Frons (decorative scene house front)

• Architectural order and design: Scene L 22.00 m, W 6.60 m overall; flanked by paraskenia (L 4.60 m, W 3 m) (Sear 190)
• Doorways and stories: The building had two floors with two architectural orders—the lower level was Doric, and the upper level was Ionic (“Soluntum History”)
• Decorative elements: A caryatid belongs to the decoration of the theatre (Sear 190); the scaena, opening onto the logeion with the traditional three doors, was flanked by two protruding paraskenia, creating a “U” plan that limited the stage area (“Soluntum History”)

Access and Circulation

• Entrances and exits: Staircase at the south end of south analemma leads up hillside to doorway near top of cavea, giving access to upper seats (Sear 190)
• Stairways: The cavea was divided by six small radiating stairways and two stairways along the side walls (paradoi) (“Soluntum History”)

Current Status

Preservation Condition

The theatre at Soluntum is partially exposed, with many elements still buried or lost. The ruins are described as “very difficult to make out” (Mitens 114), indicating significant deterioration or limited visibility of the structure compared to other ancient theatres in Sicily.

Conservation Efforts

While specific conservation efforts for the theatre are not detailed in the available sources, the archaeological site of Soluntum as a whole has been continuously excavated since its rediscovery in the 16th century (Natoli 12). An Antiquarium (small museum) at the entrance to the archaeological zone houses artifacts discovered during excavations (Gabrici 22).

Ancient Renovations

• Mid-4th century BCE: Initial construction (Sear 190)
• Late 3rd century BCE (approximately a century later): Significant alterations including enlargement of the cavea from 35 m to 46.60 m (Sear 190)
• Orchestra was raised 0.25 m and repaved with cocciopesto (Sear 190)

Chronological Phases with Dates

• Phase 1 (Mid-4th century BCE): Original construction with 14 rows of seats in 2 cunei, orchestra paved in beaten earth (Sear 190)
• Phase 2 (Late 3rd century BCE): Expansion to 23 rows of seats in 4 cunei, raised and repaved orchestra (Sear 190)

Architectural Modifications

• The polygonal rim featured 12 sides (each L 6.40 m) (Sear 190)
• The sides were not regular, with the distance from the center of the orchestra to the polygonal walls increasing toward the middle (Sear 190)
• The cavea slightly exceeded a semicircle (Sear 190)
• Converging analemmata (the external wall of the cavea) built of well-squared blocks with spurs of masonry inside for support (Sear 190)
• The analemma was a precise polygon with 13 sides, obtained by the division of a circle into 24 segments, reflecting the method for plan definition that aligns with Vitruvius’s theory about building Greek theatres (“Soluntum History”)

Excavation History in Chronological Order

Early identification in the 16th century, initial excavations in the 19th century, and more systematic archaeological work occurring in the mid-to-late 20th century:

• 1558: The site was identified using ancient literary sources by Tommaso Fazello in his history of Sicily (Tusa, “Edificio Sacro” 157)
• 1825: First excavations were carried out by Domenico Lo Faso Pietrasanta and published in his “Le antichità della Sicilia” (Tusa-Cutroni 193)
• 1825: The statue of a seated god (2nd-1st c. BCE) was discovered and is now housed in the Palermo Museum (Bisi 22)
• 1950s-1960s: G. Caputo conducted studies published in “Dioniso” (1954) (Sear 191)
• 1960s: Vincenzo Tusa led excavations published in “Archeologia Artistica” (1964) and “Sicilia Archeologica” (1968) (Sear 191)
• 1971: Further studies by V. Tusa and L. Natoli published in “Odeion” (Sear 191)
• 1980s: H.P. Isler conducted research on the Caryatid from the theatre (Sear 191)

Modern Restorations

No significant modern restorations of the theatre are documented in the available sources. The site primarily serves as an archaeological area rather than a restored performance venue.

Publication History

• G. Caputo, “Dioniso,” 17 (1954), 183-4
• V. Tusa, “AA” (1964), 749-65
• V. Tusa, “Sicilia Archeologica,” I/3 (1968), 5-12
• V. Tusa, in “Odeion” (Palermo, 1971), 87-92, 375-8
• L. Natoli, ibid. 105-12, 381-5
• K. Mitens, “Teatri Greci,” 113-15
• H.P. Isler, “Sicilia Archeologica,” 18 (1985), 65-70 (for the Caryatid)
• P. Ciancio Rossetto, “Teatri 3,” 39-40

Bibliography / Resources:

• Bisi, A. M. “Le stele puniche di Solunto.” Scritti in Onore di Salvatore Caronia. 1965.
• Gabrici, E. “Alla ricerca della Solunto di Tucidide.” Kokalos 5, 1959, pp. 1-54.
• Mitens, K. Teatri Greci. 1988, pp. 113-115.
• Natoli, L. “Caratteri della cultura abitativa soluntina.” Scritti in Onore di Salvatore Caronia. 1965, pp. 1-25.
• Sear, Frank. Roman Theatres: An Architectural Study. Oxford University Press, 2006, pp. 190-191.
• “Soluntum.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soluntum. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
• “Soluntum History.” Soluntum Archaeological Site Signage. 2015.
• Sposito, Alberto. Solunto: Paesaggio, città, architettura. Rome: “L’Erma” di Bretschneider, 2014.
• Tusa, V. “Edificio Sacro a Solunto.” Palladio 17, 1967, pp. 155-185.
• Tusa, V. “Sicilia Archeologica.” Vol. I/3, 1968, pp. 5-12.
• Tusa-Cutroni, A. “Vita dei Medaglieri.” Atti Istituto Italiano di Numismatica 2, 1955, pp. 192-197.