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Ancient Theater of Kato Vlassia in Kalavryta (Ancient Leontio)

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The monument is located in Kato Vlassia, Kalavryta, on the northern slopes of Kastritsi Hill, which coincides with ancient Leontio. The theater is situated within the fortification of the ancient city of Leontio. Nine rows of seats are saved from the cavea. In the upper diazoma the rows of seats are probably carved in the natural rock. There are five stairways with four steps each. Each step is 0.40m-0.45m wide. and the width of the stairway is 0.52m. The seats are made of tuff, while the stage and the passages are made of limestone. There are no VIP seats in the bottom row. The orchestra has a diameter of 9 meters, floor of pressed soil and a drainage pipe perimetrically for the collection of rain water, which is 0.30m-0.33m wide internally. The lanes are 2 meters high while the stone thresholds of the doors are not saved. In front of the orchestra there is a rectangular ground floor building, which is probably part of the stage.

Name of monument

Theater of Kato Vlassia in Kalavryta

Category

Theater

Brief description

The monument has the characteristic three-parts structure of the Hellenistic theaters: cavea, orchestra, stage building.

Images - plans

There is complete photographic documentation, which was carried out in the context of the implementation of the project “Rehabilitation and promotion of the archaeological site of Kato Vlassia in Kalavrita” by the 6th EPCA, funded by the 3rd CSF-ROP of Western Greece. In the framework of the realization of the same project, an imprint of the theater’s plan was made. All the relevant material can be found in the archives of the 6th EPCA. Photographic and plan imprints of the theater were also made by the archaeologist of the National Technical University of Athens, Georgia Alexopoulou, in the framework of the elaboration of her doctoral thesis.

Documentation - Bibliography

– Alexopoulou, G., Kato Vlassia in Kalavryta, position “Kastritsi Hill,” AD 57 (2002) Β1 (to be published).

– Alexopoulou, G., Ζ., Contribution to archaeology and topography of Azania (Northern Arcadia) in Kalavryta County, University of Thessaly, Department of History, Archaeology and Social Anthropology (HASA), Patras 2009, 563–574 (doctroal thesis under publication).

– Daux, G., Chronique des fouilles et découvertes archéologiques en Grèce en 1958, BCH 83 (1959) 567–793.

– Meyer, Ε., Peloponnesische Wanderungen, Ζürich–Leipzig 1939, 111–118.

– Rizakis, A. D., Achaie I. Sources Textuelles et Histoire Regionale, in A. D. Rizakis (ed.), ΕΙΕ–ΚΕΡΑ Studies 20, Athens 1995, 308.

– Rizakis, A. D., Achaïe III. Les cités Achéennes: Épigraphie et Histoire, in A. D. Rizakis (ed.), ΕΙΕ–ΚΕΡΑ Studies 55, Athens 2008, 145–150.

Location

The theater is situated at the municipal district of Kato Vlassia, municipality of Kalavryta, position Kastritsi

Dating

The monument was built during the Hellenistic period (first half of the 3rd century BC). No other construction phases have been found.

General description of Monument

The monument is located in Kato Vlassia, Kalavryta, on the northern slopes of Kastritsi Hill, which coincides with ancient Leontio. The theater is situated within the fortification of the ancient city of Leontio. Nine rows of seats are saved from the cavea. In the upper diazoma the rows of seats are probably carved in the natural rock. There are five stairways with four steps each. Each step is 0.40m-0.45m wide. and the width of the stairway is 0.52m. The seats are made of tuff, while the stage and the passages are made of limestone. There are no VIP seats in the bottom row. The orchestra has a diameter of 9 meters, floor of pressed soil and a drainage pipe perimetrically for the collection of rain water, which is 0.30m-0.33m wide internally. The lanes are 2 meters high while the stone thresholds of the doors are not saved. In front of the orchestra there is a rectangular ground floor building, which is probably part of the stage.

Current situation

Today we can see the cavea, the two lanes, the orchestra and the rectangular building opposite it, which was probably part of the stage.

Excavations - Interventions

In 1958, N. Yialouris carried out a rescue excavation on Kastritsi Hill and unveiled the small-scale theater. In 2002, 6th EPCA included the archaeological site of Kato Vlassia of Kalavryta in the 3rd CSF in order to restore and enhance it (Project “Restoration – enhancement of the archaeological site of Kato Vlasia Kalavrita”). In the context of the realization of this project, the theater was also debased and cleaned.

Permitted uses

Simple visit

History of modern uses

The monument is in the list of monyments of the Ministry of Culture & Tourism that are not in use

Additional information

The monument belongs to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Culture & Tourism /  6th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities

Copyrights

Ministry of Culture & Tourism /  6th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities

Jurisdiction

Ministry of Culture & Tourism / 6th Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities

Latitude

38.029958°

Longitude

21.91291°