Roman Theatre of Cartagena

Rediscovered by chance in 1988 beneath the old town of Cartagena, this large Roman theatre once seated thousands in the first century BC, built when the port was a wealthy colony of the empire. Its excavated tiers of stone seating rise toward the restored stage backdrop, and a museum designed by Rafael Moneo leads visitors underground and through a hillside passage before emerging dramatically into the ancient auditorium. The find transformed the city, revealing layers of Roman, Byzantine and medieval occupation stacked above.