July 2024. History - The Spare-Part of One's Holiday.

History - The Spare Part of One's Holiday. 

As the holidays are in full swing in Italy one is continually ploughing forward against a tsunami of half-naked bodies and knee-high little ones, faceless behind melon size ice cream cornets. The expected short cuts to avoid this melee are also full of copper brown bodies or dangerously exposed white, coming-on-red, new arrivals. One of these short cuts in the city of Volterra, leads one to a point on the North side of the city’s walls, where an advantageous “birds-eye” view provides one aspect of Volterra’s fascination - a particular scenic prospect of local Italian history. The unfortunate circumstance is that there’s so much more to the ruin than the human eye can see, and to a teacher, education requires a little more than instant admiration of things past. The actual importance of this view is that it provides an excellent introduction to a city that once was, but is now shrouded in the mystery that is archaeology. So, my concern remains, will the majority of visitors ever know anything beyond dates and title? Time is not on their side. Tomorrow, somewhere else, they’ll more than likely turn another blanc page on history.

The visitor, of little doubt, stands in a Medieval city which actually lies within the antiquated remains of another city that was already old before Christ orientated our own place in history, lying as it once did, behind the remains of twenty feet high walls sweeping round the city for five and a half miles in what is, considered, the oldest city in Italy. However, back to the task in hand, explaining some of the remaining aspects of this bird’s eye view of the Roman Theatre, a stone monument to man’s ingenuity, that lies below. In effect, it’s only half the interest, as behind that lies the Roman baths surrounded by its broken colonnade and complex fragmentary washing facilities. But I digress. Somewhere, in a previous blog I gave a more descriptive rendition of this theatre, however, this is not my motive at the moment, which is only to give rhyme and reason to its very existence in the first place.

Perhaps it will help to start with a description of an “Amphitheatre”, a construction making an appearance in every epic Roman inspired film, and which you will surely be familiar. Its construction was of a circular, or sometimes, oval form, with seats running in tiers round a central open space. Whereas, a “Theatre”, on the other hand, was in effect a segment of a circle - one half being tiers of seats in the same manner. As the former might hold up to fifty thousand people, one could imagine a hypothetical audience of, perhaps, up to twenty thousand for a Theatre. Given the original size of Volterra, fifteen thousand plus is probably not an unreasonable estimate. The known construction of Baths and Theatres during this period, and relics discovered on the site, suggests the Theatre, the seats, and the Baths behind, were covered in white marble - somewhat conventional perhaps for Volterra, considering the mines are not too far distant at Carrara, on the Northern Tuscan coast. However, I will eschew referring to the Baths with their “Caldarium’s”, “Frigidarium’s” et al, and stick to the theatre, giving a potted history of its emergence on the way.

Originally, entertainments usually took place under a tree or in a tent, but the Romans, as they expanded their empire, soon became enthusiasts of stage plays which had originated in Etruria. Tuscans travelled out of that then separate country to entertain them, but originally, they did little except dance to a flute as, naturally, the Romans did not understand their language. Gradually the entertainment improved and a new kind of dramatic composition was created called Satyrae. These satires were set to music, containing a great deal of ridicule and repartee. If appropriate, the actors smeared their faces with the lees of wine whence, according to some, the name “Tragedy” evolved. From this beginning Comedy, Tragedy and Pantomimes slowly emerged. Usually, the tragedies were originally accompanied by singers - called the Chorus. Choral accompaniment gradually spread to the two other types of performances. Initially, the stage where they danced was called the Orchestra.Dancers were accompanied by Flutes which seem to have been of varied specification. The Postscenium, a place behind the stage, provided the actors dressing room. Thus, eventually, the arrival of the complete Theatrum, or theatre. At first seats seem to have been prohibited, and if they were introduced, the theatre originally in wood, was consequently burnt down! The reason for this seems to allude to the censors believing ‘seats’ were hurtful to good morals. That might take a lot of explaining!

Volterra’s theatre was constructed after all this evolution in approximately 90 BC, subsequently two hundred years after the first theatres in Rome. The whole seating arrangement was called Cavea - an enclosure of the seats in linear sections, similar to the modern fashion, designed to afford good views for all the spectators. Originally it was thought that this theatre was open without any protection, but recently archaeologists have discovered traces of the mechanism for a tarpaulin cover called “Velarium” from the Latin word “Velum” - a sail, due to it being made from the same fabric - this could be drawn out in inclement weather, but was most likely, protection from the sun. Though Performances usually avoided the extreme heat of mid-day.

The seating arrangements were very formal. The foremost rows next to the stage, and previously mentioned Orchestra, was assigned to Senators and foreign dignitaries when they were present. Behind them, fourteen rows were reserved for the equities - soldiers of the horse - and then the rest for the populace. Unlike gladiatorial spectacles, from which they were originally banned, women were allowed to sit in accordance with their rank.

The scenery, sometimes very elaborate, was concealed behind curtains, which contrary to modern practice, were dropped and raised rather than drawn. It might include columns, statues or scenery, relevant to the plot.

Despite in modern times musicians taking over the Orchestra, and electricity creating its own effects, one would feel quite at home as part of the audience, though I fancy the need for a cushion might be a good practical idea.