Théâtre Antique

The Théâtre Antique listed here needs a clarification, because the description of a Roman theatre with an intact stage wall, a museum of art and history and an optional audio guide matches the Roman theatre of Orange, in the Vaucluse, about fifty kilometres north-east of Nîmes, and not a standing monument in Nîmes itself. Nîmes did have a Roman theatre in antiquity, as befits a wealthy colony, but it was long ago built over and only fragments survive, whereas Orange has one of the best-preserved Roman theatres in the world. Visitors who want to see a complete ancient theatre should plan a trip to Orange.

The Roman theatre of Orange was built in the early first century AD, in the reign of Augustus, at the foot of the Colline Saint-Eutrope, with the hill itself serving as the support for the tiered seating. Its great glory is the stage wall, the scaenae frons, which stands about thirty-seven metres high and a little over a hundred metres long, and which is the only one in Europe that survives intact with its full height. Louis XIV is said to have called it the finest wall in his kingdom. In its niches stood statues, and a statue of Augustus, reassembled from fragments found in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, now stands in the central niche. The semicircular seating area, the cavea, held several thousand spectators, with the upper rows cut into the hillside.

The theatre has also been used again in modern times. Since 1869 it has been the venue for the Chorégies d'Orange, one of the oldest opera and music festivals in France, held each summer, and its acoustics are widely admired, because the stage wall acts as a natural sounding board. Concerts and performances take place throughout the season, so a visit may coincide with an event that limits access.

The visit usually includes the theatre and the Musée d'art et d'histoire, the museum of the town across the street, which displays finds from the Roman city, including a large marble cadastre, a land register of the Roman period, and an audio guide is offered. Tickets are sold on site and online, and booking in advance avoids queues in high season. The site is open daily with seasonal hours.

The nearby Arc de Triomphe of Orange, also a World Heritage monument, can be seen on the same trip. The Roman monuments of Nîmes, among them the Arènes de Nîmes, the Maison Carrée and the Tour Magne, are within the city and are described on their own pages.