Odeon Neapolis — Who we are

In ancient times, the odeon was a small theater intended for musical performances: a covered space designed for listening and speaking. In the topography of Neapolis, the theater and the adjacent odeon occupied the northern part of the forum, immediately north of the Temple of the Dioscuri (now visible incorporated into the church of San Paolo Maggiore).

Different traces and phases of the ancient structures are known: remains emerged in the 19th century (1859), excavation investigations between 1881 and 1891 with the discovery of portions of the cavea, surveys and reconnaissance carried out in the 1980s, new interventions and consolidations starting from 1997, and a broader excavation and enhancement project started in the early 2000s. The research has brought to light the cavea, parts of the ambulatory, underpinnings, decorated surfaces, plaster with graffiti and marble coverings of the steps: elements that tell of a long stratification of life from the Roman world to the Middle Ages and the modern age.
(NB: What is reported here is based on documented archaeological studies and investigations; we do not assert interventions or ownership that are not already attested.)