A little history of Orange antic theatre
And also
The tops
Orange was colonized by Romans in 35 BC. Indeed, in Orange, we can see several Roman remnants!
But the most famous one is the amphitheatre!
Raised in the reign of Augustus (1st century), the most amazing part of this building is the Northern front (37 metres high): king of France Louis XIV called it "the most beautiful wall of his kingdom"!
In the 19th century, the famous historian Prosper Mérimée demolished all the houses which surrounded the amphitheatre.
In 1981, this one was listed as UNESCO's World heritage; since 1872, it houses the Chorégies d'Orange, created by Félix Ripert in 1869: theatre and opera punctuated the festival.
Now, let's close your eye and just imagine... primitively, the amphitheatre walls were decorated with precious marble and mosaics; statues were put in small alcoves.
Augustus' statue was in the big niche above the main entrance; the stage's wall had 76 marble columns...