Cartagena Roman Theatre Museum

A visit to the Roman Theatre Museum is a journey into one of the most surprising discoveries of the city in recent decades. Courtesy of the ingenious design by architect Rafael Moneo, visitors start their tour in the Palacio de Riquelme, the building which provides entry to the museum, and then follow a history-themed passageway under the street to reach a new museum space, where the most emblematic pieces of all those found in the excavations are displayed. Modern escalators then take them to a second tunnel, this time underneath the mediaeval church of Santa Maria, which was built on top of the old theatre and helps to increase its uniqueness and attractiveness. After this second corridor the route takes you to the most important part of the museum, the Roman Theatre itself, one of the largest in Roman “Hispania”, with a seating capacity of 7,000. The visit starts, as we already said, in the old Pascual Riquelme Palace, where you'll learn about the history of the discovery and excavation of the theater through an underground corridor. From here, you can access a room that displays the most emblematic objects found during the excavations, such as jewellery, statues or vessels and pieces of great artistic value like the three aras dedicated to the Capitoline Triad.

Then you'll arrive at the tunnel that passes under the medieval church and you'll find the perfect end to your visit: the Roman Theatre of Cartagena. You'll be able to see the remains of its stage front, the orchestra, reserved for patricians and rulers, and the cavea, where the citizens of Cathago Nova sat, arranged according to social class.