The Roman Theatre Museum is the jewel in the crown of Cartagena, a beautifully structured museum with an impressively restored Roman Theatre, and if you only have time to visit one historical structure in Cartagena, this would be our recommendation.
A little history.
Nearly 2000 years had elapsed from when the theatre was last used before modern Cartagena became aware of its existence, and it had been buried beneath a series of buildings, one constructed over the remains of another, as Cartagena lived through Bizantine, Arab, Visigoth and finally Christian occupations.
Indications only emerged of its' existence when the 19th century Palacio de la Condesa de Peralto was demolished in 1987 , the realization dawning when 3 finely carved capitels from Corinthian columns came to light that something exceptional lay buried beneath the rubble.
Following excavation, the architect Rafael Moneo was given the difficult job of creating the existing museum. Difficult, because the entrance to the museum lies at sea level in the port, but the theatre itself is almost at the highest point in Cartagena, built into the side of the largest of Cartagenas' five hills, the Monte Concepcion. To reach it, we travel underneath the Riquelme Palace and the Church of Santa Maria La Vieja, via an ingenious series of levels, the final step of emerging from the beneath the history of Cartagena into the dazzling light of the theatre itself being like the trumpeted finale of a theatrical performance, anticipation building until the star of the show is triumphantly revealed.
The theatre itself was built at the end of the 1st century BC, when Rome was at the height of its' power under the reign of Augustus, the man who defeated Anthony and Cleopatra in battle. He was a skilled politician who understood the value of "branding" and controlled his vast empire by creating mini Romes around the Empire, with himself as a semi-god and unchallenged ruler, the social class structure and rigid rule maintaining unchallenged order.
Towns were built to emulate Rome, the phrase all roads lead to Rome ensuring that everyone wanted to be someone, and climbing that ladder towards Rome encouraged trade, competition and social climbing, money pouring into construction projects and patronage of public works to curry favour and influence.
The discovery of 28 finely carved column capitels, which would have come from the workshops of the emperor himself in Rome testify to his patronage of this theatre, as do the presence of lintels revealing that the theatre was also funded partly by his heirs apparent, his step nephews Gaius and Lucius. Gaius himself was certainly present at the inauguration of the theatre in 4BC, and this encouraged local merchants to pour money into the construction of not only this theatre but also the forum, ampitheatre, religious and social buildings.
A theatre like this, which seated 6000 people served as not only a place of entertainment, but a centre for propaganda and politics, with the local elite and prestigious judges and priests reserving the most important seating and advancing their careers by the dedication of artworks and inscriptions to the glory of the emperor, many of which were uncovered during this and other excavations in Cartagena.
The theatre was only in use for about 200 years, after which time it was abandoned, as Roman power waned.
By the end of the 4th century a marketplace had been constructed on the stage area, and by 552 AD when Cartagena was occupied by the Byzantines, the theatre had become a series of dwellings, built inside the old structure. Much of the roman stone was re-cycled and the city flourished as a busy trading port until it was invaded by the Visigoths in 625, and the buildings on the site were razed to the ground and destroyed.
The Muslims conquered this area in 713 AD and until the 13th century the port was busy again, exporting fish products, minerals and agricultural produce, dwellings reconstructed over the Bizantine ruins as Cartagena became a fully fledged Arabic trading port.
In 1243 the Christians re-took Murcia, and the city endured harsh fighting as the crowns of Aragon and Castile fought over Murcia, and in 1381 Cartagena had only 800 occupants.
By this point the theatre was totally buried under a fishermans district, which is how it remained until the area was cleared in the 19th century to construct the Palacio.
A visit to the museum.
The museum is ingeniously designed to take you on a journey through time.
Exhibits in the show cases trace the history of the theatre, well presented displays and audio visuals take the visitor on a journey of discovery, peeling back the layers through the various stages of its existence.
All the display panels are in English as well as Spanish and there are plenty of buttons for children to press, models and well displayed artefacts.
The visitor gradually climbs up through the various levels, learning something new at each one, before the finale of the theatre.
The Roman Theatre itself
88 metres wide, in a sweeping arc with 5 radial stairs dividing the theatre into seating areas, the theatre has been reconstructed to a point at which it's scale and original structure can be seen and understood.
There were 3 parts to the theatre, seating, orchestra pit and the stage with scenery, which would have been astonishingly impressive, being 2 storeys, and 16 metres high, supported by pink marble columns mined in Mula, to the north of the region.
Today we see only the auditorium, but the entire complex also contained large gardens and covered colonnades for protection from the sun and weather and for social gathering, still concealed today beneath the city.
Although some have criticized the reconstructive work, it enables the visitor to enjoy and appreciate the remains, far more than would be possible without it, and is all reversible, having been achieved through the use of specially adapted materials..
Practicalities of a visit to the Roman theatre museum in Cartagena - Disability AccessAccess.
Although the museum is on several levels, wheelchairs can cope due to the installation of ramps and lifts. The only disadvantage for those with limited mobility is that it is difficult for them to explore the actual theatre itself due to the nature of it, as a stepped, split level structure.
Visitors with limited mobility may prefer to exit the theatre by re-tracing their steps, as once leaving the theatre, visitors have to walk up or down, and either option involves a lot of steps and you'll be quite astonished by the distance you've travelled since entering the front of the museum.
Location.
Accessed from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, right opposite the port area, the entrance is inside the pink and white building straight across from the impressive Palacio Consistorial, Town hall.
From the cruise ship dock, walk to the main road and turn left, along the dock side. It is advisable to cross the road on a pelican crossing as it is illegal to cross the road without using the crossing if one is nearby, and also to cross when lights are on red.
Once across the road, the large stone wall protecting the city curves inwards and opens up into a Plaza. On the left hand side is the impressive Town Hall and the tourist office is located on the corner. Opposite this, is the Roman Theatre Museum. This is probably 200 metres from the cruise ship dock.
Click Museo Teatro Romano for map.
Opening Times for the Roman Theatre Museum, Cartagena1st May to 30th September
Tuesday to Saturday 10am- 8pm uninterrupted
Sunday 10am to 2pm
Low season from 1st October to 30th April
Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm uninterrupted
Sunday 10am to 2pm
Semana santa
Monday to Saturday 10am to 8pm
Sundays 10am to 2pm
Entry fees
Single entry 6 euros
Discounted, 5 euros
Cartagena Puerto de Culturas
This museum is part of the Cartagena Puerto de Culturas attractions and as such is subject to the terms of their discount scheme.
Would we recommend it?
Absolutely. If you only have time to visit one of the historical attractions in Cartagena, make it this one, it's well worth every cent to see it.
Time to allow- If you are a diligent reader of information and presser of buttons, allow one to one and a half hours.
For children- Sensible ones, yes. There are enough buttons to press and things to look at and the theatre itself offers lots of places for children to explore.
Criticism? Lack of handrails in main theatre make it difficult for those with aged knees and a nervous disposition to descend.
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