Gladiators Barracks looking north to Large Theatre in September 2005.
Gladiators Barracks looking north to Large Theatre in June 2010. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.
Via Stabiana looking south towards entrance to Gladiators Barracks in May 2010.
Via Stabiana looking south towards entrance to Gladiators Barracks in June 2010. Photo courtesy of Rick Bauer.
2 comments:
I would like to post a comment but the wailing and gnashing of teeth prevent me from doing so, but I shall persevere.
From the photos (and many thanks to Rick) the first thing that strikes me about the “reconstruction” of large theatre is the new inclusion of the masts to support the velarium. It also appears that the media cavea has been extended by two rows up against the crypta wall, which while the early images I have suggests may have been so in a temporary from i.e. wooden bleachers there is no other evidence for.
Looking at the photos from the SANP link posted on the 16 June by Jo it also looks like they have cleaned up the suma cavea (see teatro2_100613102331.jpg) and while not shown on the SANP photo Rick’s appears to show a fence up there, presumably for aesthetic reasons and not to actually have audience seating. The route up to the summa cavea is narrow and the steps slippery and irregular and if access were granted then I shudder to think what alterations would need to take place to make them safe.
The lighting towers I guess are a necessary evil if the stage is to be lit and the two around the stage don’t appear to cover the scenae frons (I hope) but the three towers to the rear are of concern knowing the condition of the ground behind the theatre I can only assume that these have been erected on the thin strip between the Temple of Isis and the Samnite Palaestra while reports of the destruction of the pipe work between the header tank and the triangular forum have been reported this area is (as far as I am aware) pretty much undocumented. This is worrying as it is an area that I am particularly interested in as is an area which could tell us about the relationship between the theatre and the Temple of Isis post AD62.
On a lighter note, however, it appears that the increasing hole in the Odeon marble flooring has finally been arrested and not patched with second rate concrete.
This is all very frustrating as I am not going to be on site until September and my heart sinks with every new snippet of news.
D
Mr. Baker,
I will be out at Pompeii again on Friday morning (June 25). I will see if I can get some more images of the reconstruction for you.
All the best,
Rick
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