Roman Theatre Museum

The Roman Theatre Museum (in portuguese, Museu do Teatro Romano) opened to the public in the year 2001 with the intention of divulging the Roman Theatre of Felicitas Iulia Olisipo, Roman designation for the city of Lisbon.

This space, one of the centers of the Museu de Lisboa¹, is divided into four different areas: the permanent exhibition is housed in a building of the 17^th century that faces the Páteo do Aljube² and was patrimony of the Cabido da Sé, a consultative body of the dioceses; in front of Rua de São Mamede there are two buildings with exhibitions of Roman ruins and the excavation still being undertaken. Finally, between the Rua de São Mamede and the Rua da Saudade one finds the Ruins of the Roman Theatre of Lisbon, dated from the first century before Christ and that possessed between 3.000 and 5.000 seats.

Typical and iconic stages of Roman societies, theatres were at the time important places for manifestation of will on the part of all existing social castes and propaganda to the empire and cult of the emperor's figure.

On the ground floor of the building housing the permanent exhibition exist numerous items that belonged directly to the theatre and among them are shafting and capitals. In the other spaces of the museum are displayed pieces found during the excavations that go back to the 18^th and 19^th centuries, providing further knowledge to the researchers about the purposes of the museum's enclosure along time.

The Ruins of the Roman Theatre of Lisboa are classified as a Building of Public Interest since 1967.

Translation Reference

1. Lisbon Museum
2. Courtyard of Aljube