Greek Theater of Akrai in Palazzolo Acreide

Inside the scenography Akrai Archaeological Area, lies the splendid Akrai Greek Theater, one of the most important historical monuments of Palazzolo Acreideas well as a archaeological site which also enjoys great fame at an international level. This spectacular Greek Theater has been well preserved over time, reaching the present day in good condition, allowing archaeologists and researchers to be able to carry out various studies, thanks to which it has been possible to reconstruct the Akrai's story and, therefore, also of Palazzolo Acreide. One of the major exponents of Palazzolo archeology was Gabriel Judica, than with his own Archaeological excavations carried out in the ancient area of ​​Akrai it was possible to recover important archaeological finds, which are now kept and displayed inside the Palazzolo Archaeological Museum which bears the same name.

History of the Greek Theater of Akrai in Palazzolo Acreide

According to what was stated by the experts who have dealt with the reconstruction of the Palazzolese history, the Akrai Greek Theater was built at the behest of Hieron II, One of the tyrants of Syracuse most iconic in history. Therefore, the dating of this extraordinary archaeological monument should be attributed to III century BC. With the advent of the Romans in Sicily, the Greek Theater of Akrai was totally modified, receiving various improvements both from an artistic and architectural point of view, also favoring the acoustics and the view for those sitting in the stands. The Greek Theater of Akrai was subsequently slowly abandoned, so much so that i Byzantine they built a building on it grain processing, making it practically bury. The Greek Theater of Akrai was brought to light thanks to Giovanni Judica, who discovered the first portion of this extraordinary monument during an archaeological excavation carried out in 1824.

Architecture of the Greek Theater of Akrai in Palazzolo Acreide

The Greek Theater of Akrai it consists of nine sectors, each of which is made up of twelve steps, although there are various hypotheses that suggest that they could have been more numerous, perhaps demolished for the Byzantine construction used for grain processing. The orchestra has the traditional semi-circular shape, which allows for better acoustics. The scene, unlike the rest of the Greek Theater of Akrai, was made of wood and should have had modest dimensions, approximately with a depth of 3 meters. Given the small size of the Greek Theater of Akrai, historians agree in affirming that this architectural work was built within an already well-developed urban center and which did not enjoy large empty spaces, confirming the theories that see the ancient Akrai as one of major Sicilian cities of his era. After careful redevelopment, the Akrai Greek Theater has returned to host shows again, which have continued with great participation since 1991.

How to get to the Greek Theater of Akrai in Palazzolo Acreide

Il Akrai Greek Theater you can easily visit it during a holiday in Palazzolo Acreidewhich can be reached by car via the State Road 124 and the Provincial Roads 90 and 24, on which the buses of the Sicilian bus lines also travel. Given the proximity to Syracuse, which is about 40 km away, Palazzolo Acreide can also be reached by train.

© Image by Clemensfranz, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons