Roman Theatre of Málaga, the 1st-century theatre that came back to light in 1951

The Roman Theatre of Málaga was born in the 1st century AD, in the time of the emperor Augustus, when Malaca was going through a period of urban expansion and public buildings like this were a way of saying we are Rome here too. It was raised taking advantage of the western slope of Mount Gibralfaro, using the natural incline to seat the tiers and gain visibility without forcing the terrain.

For at least two centuries it worked as a space for public life, with performances and civic events, until around the 3rd century AD it began to fall out of use and ended up abandoned. Later, as the era and the city changed, the theatre was gradually covered over by medieval and modern buildings, until it disappeared beneath the streets.

During the al-Andalus period, many elements of the theatre were reused as building material to reinforce nearby defensive structures, with Roman columns and ashlars built into later walls.

The theatre did not exist again in the city's eyes until 1951, when landscaping work in front of the old Casa de la Cultura brought archaeological remains to light. At first people thought of a Roman wall, but something far more specific was soon identified: the Aditus Maximus, the main entrance to a Roman theatre. From there came the excavations and the research, and by the 1990s the Casa de la Cultura was demolished to enlarge the excavated area and consolidate the site.

When you are standing in front of the Roman Theatre of Málaga, the first thing to do is look at the slope: the building rests on that incline to raise the tiers. From there, the theatre makes sense through three areas that can still be told apart clearly.

The cavea is where people sat. What it gives you today is the shape of the theatre: the curve of the tiers marks out the space for the audience and lets you picture the scene with a full house, because that part keeps much of its structure.

The orchestra sits right in front of the stage, in the semicircular area. What is striking here is that the marble is still visible, and that makes it quick to understand that this was a leading part of the site, the place where the stage action and public events took place.

The scaenae frons was the façade of the stage, the part that gave the show its image. Remains survive today, but the important thing is to look at it knowing what it was: a frontal area that in its day was decorated with columns and sculptures, designed to frame what was happening on stage and give the theatre presence.

Right next to the Roman Theatre of Málaga you have the Interpretation Centre, designed so the visit does not end up being just a quick photo. You come to understand what role this building had in Roman Malaca and why a theatre was much more than entertainment.

Inside you will see pieces recovered in the excavations and material that helps you put a name to what you have seen outside. It also explains the daily life of the Romans in Málaga and how the theatre fitted into that city. If you go in first, you come out with a sharper eye for reading the site; if you go in afterwards, it orders what you have just walked through and rounds it off with sense.

The visit to the Roman Theatre of Málaga is free of charge, and you can walk the site on foot among the visible structures and also go into the Interpretation Centre.

The opening hours set by the site itself are these:

Tuesday to Saturday, open from 10:00 to 18:00.

Sundays and public holidays, open from 10:00 to 16:00.

Mondays it stays closed.

There are closures on particular dates such as 1 and 6 January, 1 May and 24, 25 and 31 December, and it may vary depending on the programme, so if you are going on a public holiday it is worth checking before you set off.

It was built in the 1st century AD in the time of Augustus, and even so you have it in the middle of the old town, right up against present-day life.

It was in use until the 3rd century AD, then it was abandoned and ended up buried beneath the medieval and modern city for centuries.

When it reappeared in 1951, the first remains were initially read as part of a Roman wall, and it was later identified as the Aditus Maximus, the main entrance to a Roman theatre.

Its closeness to the Alcazaba is not only geographical: during al-Andalus, elements of the theatre were reused to reinforce defensive structures, with Roman columns and ashlars built into later walls.

The slope of Mount Gibralfaro itself explains why the tiered seating survives so recognisably: the theatre leans on the incline to seat the cavea.

The Interpretation Centre was created to give context to the excavations and explain the daily life of Roman Málaga with recovered pieces and supporting material.

Guided tour of the Roman Theatre of Málaga and the Alcazaba

If you fancy seeing the Roman Theatre of Málaga, we have a tour that fits this pair of monuments very well.

With the guided tour of the Alcazaba and Roman Theatre of Málaga you do a 1 h 30 min route with an official guide and, on top of that, you get tickets included. You start on the tiers of the theatre to understand its history and its parts, and then go up to the Alcazaba to see on the ground the reuse of Roman material, the defences and the palace area, with an explanation of how life inside was organised and how it all fits into the conquest of 1487.