Athens: Herod Atticus Theater to close for 3 years for restoration

The Herod Atticus Theater in Athens will close for at least three years for essential maintenance and restoration work, Greece’s Culture Minister Lina Mendoni has said.

Speaking to Skai radio on Friday, Mendoni said the ancient Roman theater, located on the southern slopes of the Acropolis, will shut down after the summer, once scheduled performances under the annual Athens Festival are completed.

Asked how long the closure would last, she said: “That will depend on the problems identified in the studies. What is certain is that it will require at least three years.”

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus was built in AD 161 by Herod Atticus in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. Originally a steep-sloped theater with a three-story stone façade and a cedar of Lebanon roof, it hosted music events for up to 5,000 spectators. It remained intact until it was destroyed by the Heruli in AD 267.

Restoration work in the 1950s included reconstruction of the audience stands and stage using Pentelic marble. Since then, it has been the main venue of the Athens Festival.

Source: ekathimerini.com