Few cities in Greece have an ancient theatre at their centre. Larissa has two, and the larger one sits literally at its heart: on the southern slope of the Fortress hill, a few steps from the pedestrian streets and the cafés.
A theatre beneath the city
The First Ancient Theatre was built in the 3rd century BC and is one of the largest theatres in Greece. Over the centuries the city grew on top of it. Houses, streets and shops covered it almost entirely, until excavations and expropriations brought it back into the light.
Today the marble auditorium, the orchestra and the stage building can be read clearly, especially from above. From the drone you see something that is lost at ground level: how naturally the semicircle sits within the grid of the modern city.
From tragedy to the arena
Like many theatres of its time, it changed use over the centuries. In Roman times it was adapted to host other kinds of spectacle, a chapter archaeologists are still studying.
At night
When the floodlights come on, the theatre becomes the brightest spot in the city. If you pass through Larissa, see it at both times of day: in the morning, when the marble is white, and in the evening, when it turns gold.
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