The area of land under investigation is situated in the south western part of the city and presents excellent potential for the study of the urban plan and architecture of Aquileia. In fact, it lie in the heart of the monumental “quartiere degli spettacoli”, in the space between the Great Baths to the south and the decumanus of _Aratria _ Galla and the so-called Byzantine walls to the south.
The area’s scientific interest primarily lies in the hypothetical presence of the Roman theatre, placed here by Luisa Bertacchi based on significant structural finds in 1968-1969, followed by geophysical surveys in 1978 and 1984. This scholar’s interpretation also makes use of the analysis of architectural elements found on the site and a number of medieval toponyms.

This hypothesis was accepted by other scholars, but for a long time no investigations were undertaken on the ground in order not only to confirm the actual existence of the building but also to define the size, plan, architectural characteristics, decorative scheme, the phases of foundation, use and abandonment, and possible existence of earlier structures. Indeed, a single radial wall, attributed to the substructures of the cavea, a series of parallel walls in correspondence with the stage building and several structures centred on a paved area to the rear were all that was known of the theatre and supposed porticus post scaenum .

In 2015, the University of Padova began a first campaign of excavations and survey, preceeded and followed by a series of geo-electric surveys. The excavations involved a vast area roughly corresponding with the presumed middle sector of the theatre’s cavea. Two trenches were opened in order to make a fast and reliable identification of the building: the first placed to the north (trench 1), in the proximity of the area investigated last century; the second (trench 2) further south, where the geo-electric surveys indicated the presence of the largest number of structures.

Bertacchi’s intuition now seems to be confirmed by the identification, in trench 2, of a length of curved wall from which a series of radial wall branch-off, structures attributable to the theatre, probably smaller than previously suggested. The excavations in trench 1 revealed important evidence for the post-antique occupation of the area and the removal of large architectural elements from the monumental complex.
The archaeological excavations are also closely linked to the Archaeological Superintendency of Friuli Venezia Giulia and the Fondazione Aquileia’s declared interest in proceeding with a programmed intervention to safeguard the structural remains and enhance this area of State-owned property.