Pietravairano

One of the most beautiful and rare examples of temple-theater type installations ascertained in southern Italy is located on the summit of Monte San Nicola, in the hamlet of Sant'Eremo in the municipality of Pietravairano. At a height of about 500 meters above sea level, an ancient sanctuary consisting of a temple and a theater, placed on two terraces at different elevations, has been identified. Of the theatre, located some 20 metres lower down, the semicircular cavea is preserved, created by exploiting the natural slope of the hill, and the scaena (the structure where the stage was set) located along the southern edge of the terrace, reinforced by four turrets. The cavea has a linear development of about 800 metres and is assumed to have had a capacity of no more than 2,000 seats.