Roman Theatres of Fourvière (Lugdunum)

The Roman Theatres of Fourvière stand on the western slope of Fourvière hill in Lyon's 5th arrondissement, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. They are the most visible survivors of Lugdunum, founded in 43 BCE by Lucius Munatius Plancus and later capital of the Roman provinces of the Three Gauls. The Great Theatre was begun around 15 BCE under Augustus and enlarged under Hadrian in the 2nd century CE, when it could seat roughly 10,000 spectators. Beside it stands the smaller Odeon, a roofed hall of about 3,000 seats used for music, poetry and recitations. Together they formed a cultural quarter of a city that served as an administrative, military and commercial hub of Roman Gaul. The semicircular cavea is cut into the hillside in stepped tiers of stone, with the orchestra floor paved in coloured marble and the stage front once decorated with columns and statuary. After the decline of Lugdunum the theatres were abandoned, quarried for stone and gradually buried under gardens and convent buildings. Systematic excavation began in 1933 under Pierre Wuilleumier and continued for several decades, followed by a major restoration in the 1970s and 1980s that rebuilt tiers and stage walls so the monument could again host performances. Since 1946 the Great Theatre has been the main venue of the Nuits de Fourvière, a summer festival of music, theatre and dance. The theatres are part of the area inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the Historic Site of Lyon in 1998. The adjoining Lugdunum museum, built into the hillside by architect Bernard Zehrfuss and opened in 1975, displays the finds from the site, so the two are often visited together. The ancient stonework is mixed with modern restoration, and the surrounding park offers views over the Saône valley and the rooftops of Vieux Lyon. The grounds are open daily with free access to the theatres outside festival evenings, which makes the site an easy first stop for anyone tracing Roman Lyon.