Roman Theatre of Trieste

Tickets and tours: which to book

There is nothing to buy for the theatre itself, and no tour of it alone is sold online. The ruin is fenced off from the street, and the railings on three sides give a clear view of the seating, the orchestra and the base of the stage. For most of the year the enclosure stays shut, so a visit means walking around the outside, which costs nothing and fits into any walk through the old city.

From time to time the site opens for guided visits run by the state archaeology office or by local associations, and in summer the theatre hosts plays, concerts and dance under the stars. Watch the posters in town or the city's events listings if you want to sit on the Roman steps.

Walking tours of Trieste, offered by local guides and by groups that meet in Piazza Unita, usually pass the theatre on the way up to the cathedral and the castle. They add context that the brief signs do not give, and they often continue to the Arch of Riccardo and the Roman remains beside San Giusto. Cruise passengers and day visitors from Venice or Ljubljana see it on such walks. The sensible plan is to treat the theatre as the first stop on a self-guided climb of San Giusto hill, ending at the Roman finds in the city's antiquities museum.

A short history

Tergeste became a Roman colony in the 1st century BC, and the theatre was built at the end of that century on the slope below the hilltop forum. Early in the 2nd century AD it was enlarged and decorated, and an inscription records a local benefactor, Quintus Petronius Modestus, who paid for part of the work. After the end of the Roman world the building was gradually covered by houses of the medieval town. Its outline survived in the curve of the streets, but the ruin itself was forgotten. It was uncovered in 1938, when the old quarter around it was demolished, and statues found in the excavation went to the city museum.

Getting there

The theatre is in the heart of Trieste, so you reach it on foot. From Piazza Unita d'Italia walk inland along Corso Italia and turn left after a few minutes towards Via del Teatro Romano; the whole walk takes about five minutes. Trieste Centrale railway station is about 1.5 km away, a 20-minute walk along the seafront or a short ride on city buses that run towards Piazza Goldoni. Trains from Venice take about two hours. Trieste airport at Ronchi dei Legionari lies about 35 km away and has its own station with trains to the centre in about half an hour. Driving into the centre is slow; use one of the multi-storey car parks near the seafront.

Rules and what to bring

You stay outside the railings on normal days, so there is little to forbid: do not climb the fence or drop litter into the site. Drones over the city centre need permission. If you come for a summer show, check what the organisers allow in the way of cushions, food and bags. Cafes, bakeries and public toilets are easy to find around Piazza Unita and Corso Italia. Wear good shoes for the steep lanes up to San Giusto.

When to go

The theatre is a quick stop that suits any hour of the day. Morning light falls well on the seating, and the streets around it are quiet before the shops open. In the late afternoon you can see it on the way down from San Giusto and continue to the seafront for sunset.

Trieste is pleasant from April to October. Summer brings the open-air season of shows inside the theatre, the only time most visitors can sit on the Roman steps. Winter is cool and can be windy when the bora blows from the north-east, sometimes with gusts strong enough to make the hill streets unpleasant; on such days keep the visit short. Cruise ships bring crowds to the centre on some mornings, but they rarely linger at the theatre. Allow 15 to 30 minutes here, and two to three hours if you combine it with the Arch of Riccardo, the cathedral, the castle and the antiquities museum.