The ancient theater of Larissa is slowly acquiring a part of its lost glory, which literally emerged from under the buildings of the modern city, to start a wide program of maintenance and restoration a few years ago. Next step now, it is the restoration of its scales but also of one of its sides, interventions that will significantly contribute to the image of the monument, both aesthetically and in its understanding.
The studies, which were approved on Tuesday by the Central Archaeological Council are certainly intended first to strengthen the static adequacy of the main theater by preventing the seats from falling. In addition, it will be possible for visitors to move around the area, something that is currently impossible due to the discontinuity of the tiers, while the totality of the interventions will essentially contribute to the restoration of part of the theater's lost acoustics.
To achieve the specific task, archaeologists and architects have completed the identification of all the scattered architectural members, coming from the ranks, their maintenance and welding has been done while, where required, additional new marble from the ancient quarry located in Kastri Larissa will be used.
In order to restore the slopes, several older structures will first have to be removed, as well as the fencing made of iron pipes _an important aesthetic nuisance for the monument today_, while an excavation will be made in the area of the original building of the military bakeries that were located above the theater, in depth at least 1,50 measures in order to look for architectural members. But some of them, are already visible while others will certainly be sought, which may be scattered in the area. Finally, the slope will be restored with backfilling.
The 1st ancient theater of Larissa was built in the 3rd BC. X. century, extends on the southern slope of the hill of Ag. Achilleiou (ancient Acropolis) and operated for six centuries, during which it underwent various transformations. On the 2nd. X. century the stage building was completed with a proscenium and during the Roman era the building suffered serious alterations: From the 1st p. X. century that is, χρησιμοποιήθηκε ως ρωμαϊκή αρένα ενώ στα τέλη του 2ου μ. X. ξηλώθηκαν οι τέσσερις πρώτες σειρές των εδωλίων για να διευρυνθεί η ορχήστρα. Χαριστική βολή στο οικοδόμημα έδωσε τέλος, ένα σεισμός κατά τον 7ο μ. X. century, όταν κατέρρευσε μεγάλο μέρος του επιθεάτρου και ο δεύτερος όροφος της σκηνής. Πάντως στα χρόνια της Τουρκοκρατίας μεγάλο τμήμα του ήταν ορατό. Τον 1ο π. X. αιώνα ωστόσο είχε κατασκευασθεί και δεύτερο, μικρότερο και λιτό θέατρο στην Λάρισα, το οποίο ανακαλύφθηκε το 1978 μέσα στην πόλη επίσης.
Η ανασκαφή ξεκίνησε τη δεκαετία του 1980 αλλά προχώρησε αργά, καθώς έπρεπε να προηγηθούν απαλλοτριώσεις και κατεδαφίσεις των ακινήτων που βρίσκονταν πάνω στο μνημείο. Το έργο αναστήλωσης είναι ενταγμένο στο Ταμείο Διαχείρισης Πιστώσεων για την εκτέλεση Αρχαιολογικών Έργων.
Source : tovima.gr