Roman Odeon
Roman Odeon is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Taormina audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~20 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type ruins
- Suggested visit ~20 min
- Taormina Taormina guide
About Roman Odeon
A small and perfectly preserved 1st-century Roman theatre discovered beneath the church of Santa Caterina, used for musical performances and poetry readings, a miniature companion to the great Teatro Greco nearby.
The Roman Odeon of Taormina is a small but perfectly preserved ancient theatre of the 1st century AD, discovered in the 19th century beneath the church of Santa Caterina and its adjacent area. Unlike the large Teatro Greco, which was primarily used for drama and public spectacles, the Odeon was an intimate performance space, smaller, roofed in antiquity, used for musical performances, poetry readings, and rhetorical competitions. It could seat about 200 people in its twelve tiers of seats, carved in the characteristic black volcanic stone. The orchestra circle is still visible, as is the proscenium wall. The Odeon was built in the same period as the Roman expansion of the main theatre, and its preservation under the church has kept it in exceptionally good condition.
Did you know? The Odeon had a wooden roof in antiquity, making it one of the few roofed theatres in Roman Sicily. The roof improved acoustics dramatically for the musical performances it was designed to host.
How long should you spend at Roman Odeon?
Plan about ~20 min at Roman Odeon. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Roman Odeon worth visiting?
Roman Odeon is one of the 15 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Taormina, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Taormina
Hear the story of Roman Odeon
Preview the Taormina tour free in the Gingerguide app.