The prolonged closure was initially caused by the pandemic and later extended to allow for essential fire-safety compliance works. Visitors will once again be able to explore the remains of Florence’s ancient Roman theatre through guided tours. The underground site offers a rare journey through the city’s urban history, revealing architectural layers that span from Roman Florentia to the Renaissance seat of civic power.

Completed in 2010, the excavations uncovered substantial portions of the Roman theatre along with later constructions that accumulated over centuries of continuous use. Archaeologists date the theatre’s initial construction to Florence’s colonial phase, with a major enlargement during the Imperial period between the late first and early second centuries AD. At its peak, the theatre could accommodate an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 spectators. Its remains extend beneath Palazzo Vecchio and Palazzo Gondi, with the cavea oriented toward today’s Piazza della Signoria and the stage area aligned with via dei Leoni.

The theatre remained in use until the fifth century AD, before falling into gradual decline amid the collapse of Roman authority and the turmoil of the Gothic Wars. In the centuries that followed, its structures were repeatedly adapted: radial corridors were used as rubbish dumps, lime kilns, burial spaces, animal stalls and, between the 12th and 13th centuries, even prison cells. Portions of the upper structure were fortified and incorporated into a medieval watchtower known as the Guardingo.

From the 11th century onward, medieval buildings rose directly atop the Roman ruins. Tower houses and civic buildings belonging to prominent Florentine families were eventually absorbed into the growing Palazzo Vecchio, begun in the late 13th century. A pivotal moment came with the construction of the Salone dei Cinquecento, when the theatre’s ancient chambers were reused to support the foundations of the vast council hall.