EVENTS

In the heart of the ancient city of Lefkada, the first theatre in the Ionian Islands, a magnificent monument, which due to its position, dominates the ancient city, has come to light. 

Ancient Lefkada, which was founded before the end of the 7th century BC by the Corinthian sea rulers at the northeastern end of the island, was a powerful city-state, which, thanks to its strategic position on the sea routes, the shipping routes to the north and west, as well as its port, experienced great economic and cultural prosperity. The rescue excavations of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Aitoloakarnania and Lefkada, in the context of public or private projects, have revealed extensive archaeological remains, such as parts of the walls, the settlement, the cemeteries and the harbour.

The only systematic excavation on the island, after the major excavations of W. Dörpfeld, was carried out in recent years, with the aim of bringing to light its most emblematic monument, the theatre. Its location is about 3km south of the modern town of Lefkada, on the northeastern slope of the middle hill of Koulmos, on a hillside overgrown with olive trees, with a panoramic view of the channel and the coastal plain, where the ancient town was spread out. Very little was known until the year 2015 about the theatre and came from the test cuts made in 1901 by E. Kruger, W. Dörpfeld’s partner, which are included in his book Alt Ithaka. The sections were recorded after the work was completed and the location of the theatre over time was no longer known, as it was entirely covered by olive groves and makeshift bunkers. The particular geomorphological characteristics of the area and the ancient remains on the surface helped in the re-discovery of the theatre’s location in 1997, by the then competent Ephorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities. In 2015, under the direction of Dr. Olympia Vikatou, concerted efforts for the systematic excavation of the theatre began, which finally succeeded, after the cooperation with the then mayor of Lefkada, Mr. K. Drakontaidis, and the support of the association DIAZOMA. In the first test cuts, at the expense of the Municipality, the first test cuts identified the epi-holes, the orchestra and the retaining wall of the stage.

The systematic excavation began in 2017 by the Ephorate of Antiquities of Aitoloakarnania and Lefkada, with funding from the Region of the Ionian Islands (100.000€) and the Municipality of Lefkada (100.000€), through a Programmatic Agreement with the Ministry of Culture. The excavation started on the property of Mikronis, who gave his consent to start work before the completion of the expropriation process. In just five excavation periods and until 2023, the archaeological dig uncovered the large, impressive theatre. The systematic excavation is directed by Dr. Olympia Vikatou, Director General of Antiquities and Cultural Heritage, and then Head of the Ephorate, while the scientific team includes archaeologists Vivian Staikou and Varvara Giza, topographical engineer Georgios Lolos, architect Nikos Hadjidakis and art conservator Aphrodite Tligada.

The excavation was particularly difficult and demanding, since many large olive trees had to be removed, extensive excavations had to be made, newer structures had to be deconstructed and many architectural elements had to be moved. The survey has largely uncovered the hollow, the orchestra and frieze, the lanes, the hollow’s retaining walls, and most of the stage. The state of preservation of the monument, especially in the upper part of the cave, is not good, as a result of human activity either in ancient or modern times and the cultivation of the property. The theatre is oriented NE/SW and is divided by 13 staircases (0,72-0,78m wide) into 12 stands. In the lower part of the hollow, the stalls and the presbytery are preserved in better condition, especially in the central area, as the limestone slabs of their covering, the terraces of the stairs and the aisle slabs are also preserved . The main theatre has 21 rows of seats, and above the 21st row there was probably a frieze. Above the diazome, three rows are formed in the rock and the rest of the theatre is formed in a single slope. It is likely that the epitheatre was not completed. The seating capacity of the theatre in the 24 rows was about 3,500 spectators; when fully developed with the epitheatre, it is estimated that it would have held about 10,000 to 11,000 spectators.

The presidencies were also found to consist of two seats joined together, with a total length of 2.60m. The orchestra, partly carved into the natural rock, is a complete circle with an external diameter of 16.65m and is surrounded by a stone frame, consisting of three rows of stones each height, which at the base of their face have a cymosity and a band at the top. On the outside of the orchestra, at a lower level, was partially investigated, the particularly elaborate in its construction, frieze.

One of the most interesting elements of the research is the discovery of parts of three stone thrones, elaborately decorated with lion’s feet, dolphins, birds, siren etc., which were intended for prominent persons, priests or officials of the city and later of the Acarnanian Community.

The two retaining walls of the cave are preserved at a length of 28 m. and 20.40 m., the north and the south respectively. The stage building, 20.00 m long and about 13 m wide, is preserved at the foundation level of the pillar. Numerous fragments of sandstone columns and parts of the architrave allow the reconstruction of the Ionic façade of the lodge, which had 16 semi-columns. On either side of the Ionic stoa were ramps, 9 m long, leading to the lodge, i.e. the roof of the stoa where the actors appeared. At the beginning of each ramp the passages were closed with gates. The strong retaining wall, located 13 m behind the proscenium and at a much lower level, is the eastern boundary of the stage building.

As for the chronology of the monument, it seems that its construction began in the 4th century BC, like other public buildings, when the city experienced great economic prosperity and flourishing. Construction details, however, suggest that it was also altered later. In Roman times it followed the fate of the rest of the city, which gradually declined, and with the foundation of Nicopolis by Octavian Augustus in 31 BC, a large part of the Lefkadians were forced to settle in the new city. It was probably abandoned after the end of antiquity and much of its material was detached for later constructions, some of which were built on the hollow. Although damaged by time, but mainly by human intervention, the theatre, fully and harmoniously integrated into the geomorphology of the hill, with a panoramic view of the wider area, is undoubtedly the most important and imposing monument that has come to light in ancient Lefkada.

The upper part of the hollow and part of the scene will be investigated after the Ministry of Culture has completed the expropriation, which was planned during the visit of the Minister of Culture Lina Mendoni to Lefkada in 2020. Under the Programme Agreement, the theatre restoration study and the stone conservation study have already been prepared, which, if examined by the KAS and approved, then the monument is absolutely ripe, as a project, to be included in a co-funded programme. For the implementation of the excavation thanks are expressed to the Regional Governors Spyridon Galiatsatos, Rodi Kratsa Tsagaropoulou, and Ioannis Trepeklis, as well as to the Mayors Konstantinos Drakontaidis, Charalambos Kalos and Xenophon Verginis, which during their tenure all signed and proceeded to the Programmatic Agreement with the Ministry of Culture.