Teatro Greco Palazzolo Acreide

The city of Akrai, located to the west of the modern Palazzolo Akreide, the oldest of the sub-colonies of Syracuse, according Tucicide, founded 70 years after the founding of the motherland, is located in the western part of the area placed between the two valleys of the Tellaro south and dell'Anapo north and occupied a strategic position that allowed the inland control. The first studies on the ancient city date back to centuries. XVI and regarded the problem of identifying the site of the ancient city. The first to identify with the site Akrai place west of Palazzolo was Fazello, but it is only with the Baron Judica in sec. XIX that begins the real archaeological research. The most recent research within the site of the ancient city have allowed to bring out a road axis (stalls), with EW orientation, which was the most important road, which connected the two city gates (the Syracusan and selinuntina). It has brought to light a stretch of about 250 m; It has a width of 4.00 m. and a lava stone pavement of the late Hellenistic age. This axis was intercepted by Crossroads (stenopoi), m wide. 3,00 approx. They were brought to light two to the south and 5 north axis road. The pavement of these seems to be limited to the portions of the crossings. These stenopoi obliquely intersect the audience and those places north are staggered and not aligned with those places in the south. The urban plan seems to have had three building phases: the Archaic period, the Hellenistic and Roman age age. To the west the audience ended in a square, still with floor, while on the east bordered the theater scene that was then inserted into the urban scheme. The theater was discovered in 1824 by G. Judica. He was responsible for the excavation of the scene, the orchestra, the lower steps of the auditorium, but also the restoration and reconstruction of the auditorium until the twelfth step. The study and research were then taken up by L. Bernabo Brea. Overall it is a pretty small building with the auditorium, largely obtained in the slope of the hill, a semicircular shape as the orchestra. Originally it had nine segments, separated by eight ladders, but only one at either end were constructed entirely. Rebuilt until the 12th step was not to have more than 14 were missing parodoi and access was by two narrow passages placed at the sides of the stage. This recognizes a remake of the imperial age, it consists of a pulpitum placed on a part of the scene. This monument has been framed chronological age ieroniana (III sec. BC) as the nearby bouleuterion. The Bouleuterion, located south-west of the theater, was excavated in 1820 by Judica. E 'consists of a quadrangular environment, with the auditorium consists of six orders of steps, distinct in three wedges. It was preceded by a sull'agorà porch. On a hill overlooking south the theater is an archaic temple (probably second half of VI century. BC), at the highest point of the city, identified with the temple of Aphrodite, mentioned in an inscription. On the basis of studies conducted, it has a cell with adyton and a front porch; He had a peristasis 6x 13, with a second row of columns at the front. To the east of the theater are the quarries Intagliata and dell'Intagliatella. It is the stone quarries, transformed Christian and Byzantine age burial grounds and houses. The Intagliatella, which has a development to "I", was also on the front of the grooves latomia who were staying the tablets or pinakes, with scenes related to the cult of heroes.