The Gallo-Roman theatre at Lillebonne (ancient Juliobona) was a substantial civilian theatre-amphitheatre hybrid built in the 1st century AD and remodelled, probably under Hadrian or the Antonines, into one of the largest entertainment venues in northern Gaul, with an estimated capacity of around 3,000 spectators. It served the Roman town of Juliobona, capital of the Caletes civitas in Gallia Lugdunensis, hosting theatrical performances and likely gladiatorial or venatio spectacles given its combined design.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
As the administrative and economic hub of the Caletes on the Seine estuary, Juliobona was a key Romanised port linking Britain and the Gallic interior, and its monumental theatre signals the wealth and civic ambition of this regional capital. It is among the best-preserved Roman theatres in northern France and the only such monument surviving in Normandy.
Cleared and studied since the early 19th century (notably from 1822 onward), the surviving remains include the curved cavea built into the natural slope, vaulted substructures, radial walls, and parts of the orchestra and stage building, demonstrating two main construction phases. Recent excavations and the adjacent Juliobona museum have further documented the urban context, including baths, domus, and finds such as the celebrated Apollo bronze recovered from the town.
The Gallo-Roman theatre at Lillebonne (ancient Juliobona) was a substantial civilian theatre-amphitheatre hybrid built in the 1st century AD and remodelled, probably under Hadrian or the Antonines, into one of the largest entertainment venues in northern Gaul, with an estimated capacity of around 3,000 spectators. 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.
Aubrey Research generates detailed historical reports for any location in Britain, incorporating Roman heritage, Domesday Book records, scheduled monument data, archaeological finds and much more. Enter a nearby address to begin.
Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in Britain — drawing on Roman heritage, Domesday records, scheduled monument data, archaeological finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.
Research the area around Gallo-Roman Theater of Lillebonne