El Ayuntamiento destina más de 2 millones de euros para la excavación del pórtico del Teatro Romano

The Roman Theater already has over 2 million euros in the budget of the Cartagena City Council to carry out the excavation of the portico located behind the scene of the site. Under the presidency of the mayor, Noelia Arroyo, credit generation for this restoration was approved at the Local Government Board meeting held at the Town Hall on Friday, March 7. In addition, the City Council is working on the recovery of the Roman Amphitheater and the Bullring, which adds more attractions to the tourist offer of Cartagena Puerto de Culturas.

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The Councilor for Archaeological Heritage, Pablo Braquehais, has reported that «the first phase of the portico was excavated in the western area, next to the Callejón de la Soledad. In this area, many architectural elements and mural paintings were found.» He also mentioned that «in this new phase, which is the central part, we hope to conduct significant anthracology work to determine the nature of the seeds that were in those gardens and probably be able to reconstruct them.» The excavation of the portico of the Roman Theater will allow the integration of the two-thirds of the site yet to be excavated into the large building, completing the excavation of the monument within the two-year timeframe set for the execution of the works.

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The Roman Theater of Cartagena is the most visited museum in the region. In 2024, it set a record with over 260,000 visits. This investment of 2,196,345 euros, coming from Next Generation funds of the European Union, will bring to light the rest of the site. The portico is located behind the ‘stage’ of the Roman Theater. It is a large public area with a square plan, with a double porticoed gallery surrounding a central garden space, which spectators of the time used to walk during intermissions or protect themselves from the rain.

PROGRESS ON THE EXCAVATION AT THE AMPHITHEATER

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Meanwhile, the recovery of the Roman Amphitheater is progressing with a new phase that will culminate in the excavation inside the bullring. Since early 2025, archaeologists have been working until the end of the year on the conservation of the remains present outside Doctor Fleming Street to open the site to visitors. In February, the Procurement Board of the Cartagena City Council proposed a specialized company as the contractor to draft the project for the second phase.

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With the execution of the second phase, the excavation of the sector located inside the bullring enclosure would be completed. Furthermore, it will allow the site to be museumized and create a wide and stable visitor itinerary for its continuous opening to the public.

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The tasks of the second phase include the recovery of an area of the bullring’s grandstand. From this space, a bird’s eye view of the Roman Amphitheater can be seen, as well as contextualizing it by glimpsing spaces of the city such as the Concepción Castle, the Carlos III Wall, and the bay of the port of Cartagena. This new phase has funding of 2 million euros, thanks to municipal and state funds. Its development is set for the year 2027.

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