SCIENZA E BENI CULTURALI XXXII.2016
Giovanna Buda Museo regionale di Catania, via Vittorio Emanuele II, Catania, giovanna.buda@alice.it
ABSTRACT
Recent works aimed at improving the enjoyment have been carried out between 2014 and 2015 in the monumental complex of the ancient theater of Catania. It is indeed an imperial-era theater of the late second century which is the extension of a previous Roman theater built on a Greek pre-existing. In particular, during the accomodation of paths in the cavea of the theater, some choices in the execution phase are derived from careful observation and reading of direct restoration by Italo Gismondi between 1950 and 1970. In modern times the ancient site wos occupied by houses one-two floors. A real neighborhood on the ancient remains. The houses were superimposed using the caves also partly the spaces inside the ambulatories, fractionated and adapted to rooms. Started the demolition and excavation in the 50s of the last century, roman Architect had the task to repair the theater building, in itself a complex work, for the ancient stratification of the same monument, in addition to the important gaps. The work of Gismondi was a massive operation, with many reconstructions, and sometimes the "minimal intervention" possible for the structural balance recovery. But it denotes discernment and mastery of the theme. At that restoration they are followed by the 80s onwards other excavations and other works of liberation in the eastern portion of building.
Parole chiave/Key-words: Catania, ancient theatre, Italo Gismondi.