Rome - Theater of Marcellus Teatro di Marcello

Must-see attractions nearby: Colosseum Pantheon Trevi Fountain Vatican City Roman Forum Palatine Hill National Museum / Baths Museum

The theater, originally planned by Caesar, was begun in 13 B.C. and completed two years later. The auditorium was now supported by a massive system of arcades, and the disposition of the stage and the tiers of seating was matched to the external elevation. The remains are still impressive, in spite of the fact that the theater was converted into a fortress and residence by the Fabi, Savelli and Orsini families during the Middle Ages. In the 16th century, a new palace was built by Baldassare Peruzzi for the Savelli family on the ruins of the theater, but this still preserved the form of the original structure. The restoration of the theater, begun in 1989, is expected to continue into the mid-1990s.