Theater of Pompey (Rome)

 theatre, ruins, ancient, invisible, historical layer / disappeared object

From Wikipedia: The Theater of Pompey:

The Theatre of Pompey (Latin: Theatrum Pompeium, Italian: Teatro di Pompeo) is an ancient building of the Roman Republic era, built between 61 BC and 55 BC, once the world's largest theater. It was one of the first permanent (non-wooden) theatres in Rome. Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus, financed his theatre to gain political popularity during his second consulship. It was not only a theatre; the building also had a large central garden decorated with statues of great artists and actors, long arcades exhibiting collections of paintings and sculpture as well as a large space suitable for holding public gatherings and meetings. The theatre was crowned with a temple to Venus Victrix, Pompey's personal deity (compared to Julius Caesar's worship of Venus Genetrix as his personal deity). Some modern scholars believe this was not mere piety, but essential in order that the structure should not be seen as a self-promoting extravagance as well as overcome a moratorium on permanent theatre buildings.

The remains of the east side of the Portico attached to the theatre and 3 of 4 temples from an earlier period often associated with the theatre can be seen on the Largo di Torre Argentina. The 4th temple remains largely covered by the modern streets of Rome. This archaeological site was excavated by order of Mussolini in the 1920s and 30s. The scarce remains of the theatre itself can be found off the Via di Grotta Pinta underground; vaults from the original theatre can be found in the cellar rooms of restaurants off this street, as well as in the walls of the hotel Albergo Sole al Biscione

During the theatre's long history, which stretches from 55BC to approximately 1455AD, the structure endured several restorations due mainly to fire. Eventually falling into disrepair, it became a quarry for the stone that had made up the large theatre.

For more information, follow the URL below.