Orange Roman Theatre

Almost every Roman theatre lost its scaenae frons, the wall behind the stage, to stone robbing; Orange kept its. The wall is about one hundred and three metres long and thirty-seven high, and Louis XIV is said to have called it the finest wall in his kingdom. A statue of Augustus, three and a half metres tall, stands in the central niche, reassembled from fragments. The acoustics still work, which is why the Chorégies d'Orange, an opera festival running since 1869, uses the theatre each summer. A triumphal arch of the first century stands at the north edge of town, and both are UNESCO listed.

What you actually see

• The stage wall - a 103-metre Roman facade still standing full height.
• The Augustus statue - a three-and-a-half-metre emperor in the central niche.
• The seating bowl - tiers cut into the hillside, still used for opera.
• The triumphal arch - a first-century arch north of the centre.

When to go

April to October; the theatre closes to visitors during festival preparation and performances in July and August, so check dates. Summer heat in the bowl is severe.

Honest expectations

Closures for festival rigging can block visits for stretches of summer. Modern staging equipment is often in place. The town around is ordinary and the arch is on a busy road.

Nearby

Vaison-la-Romaine lies northeast; Chateauneuf-du-Pape is south.