Remains
On our walk back downhill from the basilica, we came upon Les Théåtres Romains. It turns out Lyon’s Roman theater is the oldest in France, dating from 17 BC. When Augustus commissioned the theatre, which would serve as the community’s social center, it was only fitting to erect it on the highest hill, Fourvière, where the Romans first settled in 43 BC.
Le Théåtre hosting a fun field trip
11,000 people could gather in the steep seating galleries of le Théåtre to watch tragedies and comedies unfold on the stage. Behind the stage, a 30-meter high wall blocked city views. Today, it holds 4,500 people in what used to be the lower section, and the foundations of what was a large stage.
An old passageway
L’Odéon
Adjacent l’Odéon wa a smaller theater mostly used for musicals and poetry readings. It was lavishly decorated and the floor still contains inlaid marble. It was surrounded by a semi-circular street, from which people entered via one of five doors that led to the upper and lower seating levels.
Ruins
Former seating
Tuesday – Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
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