The Roman Theatre of Lillebonne is an ancient entertainment venue located in the former city of Juliobona, now Lillebonne, in France.
Constructed in the 1st century AD by utilizing a natural hillside for support, the structure was rebuilt and enlarged during the 2nd and 3rd centuries before being repurposed as a fortress at the end of the 3rd century. Despite research interruptions lasting several decades, the theatre has been the subject of regular excavations since the early 19th century. As of the 21st century, only the stage area—currently covered by a modern road—remains unexcavated. It was officially designated as a monument historique in the original 1840 protection list.
The theatre is situated south of the ancient city of Juliobona, near the main Roman roads. It is partially built into a hillside to the south, which dictated its orientation: the cavea (seating area) rests on the hill to the south, while the arena and stage building are located to the north on a naturally flat plain.
Until 1740, descriptions of the Lillebonne site failed to mention the presence of a theatre. It was first identified by the Count of Caylus in 1764. Destructive excavations began in 1812; François Rever, who accessed the findings to establish a floor plan, formally identified it as a Roman theatre. In 1818, the Seine-Inférieure department purchased the site. Excavations continued until 1840, when the monument was included in France's first list of protected historic monuments. However, the theatre was largely neglected until the end of the century, leading to degradation of the ruins despite occasional consolidation work.
Excavations resumed from 1908 to 1915 using improved techniques that caused less damage, with formal reports published. Following World War I, work did not resume until 1935 under Albert Grenier but was again halted in 1939. Between 1940 and 1944, the remains of the German sector commander for Lillebonne were buried within the theatre grounds.
In 1960, after twenty years of abandonment, the theatre was overgrown with vegetation. A major clearing operation and new excavations were launched under Maurice Yvart (1960–1962) and later Georges Duval starting in 1974.
In 2000, a program to diagnose the theatre's condition was launched alongside a re-examination of all prior documentation. The site was subsequently opened to the public. The most recent excavation campaign took place from 2007 to 2009, led by Vincenzo Mutarelli; it aimed to verify documentary conclusions through field research and better integrate the ancient monument into the modern city's urban planning.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
The Roman Theatre of Lillebonne is an ancient entertainment venue located in the former city of Juliobona, now Lillebonne, in France. Constructed in the 1st century AD by utilizing a natural hillside for support, the structure was rebuilt and enlarged during the 2nd and 3rd centuries before being repurposed as a fortress at the end of the 3rd century. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a theatre site from the Roman period in Britain.
Gallo-Roman Theater of Lillebonne is classified as a Roman theatre — a civilian site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.
Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Iuliobona (0.2 km), Loium? (13.5 km), Caracoticum (24.4 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
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