By Alex Watkins
CARTAGENA has been awarded over €2 million by the EU to finish the excavation of the Roman theatre and restoration of its portico.
Mayoress Noelia Arroyo said that half of this grand ancient structure is still unexcavated and this will be completed within two years.
She noted that many people thought that the theatre excavation was already finished, but only a third of the portico building that was behind the stage that is being restored were excavated two years ago.
The Roman theatre is the most visited monument in Murcia region and ‘one of the greatest jewels of Cartagena’s archaeology’, Sra Arroyo assured.
City hall’s application for financing was rewarded with €2,196,345 from EU Next Generation funds for improving historical heritage for tourism purposes.
Once the decision reported by the secretary of state for tourism has been confirmed, the Roman theatre trust will meet to make the most urgent decisions, such as getting a detailed project drawn up so that the work can start soon enough to be finished before the deadline to use to funding by March 2026.
The portico is a large, rectangular public space with a double gallery around a central garden.
Two years ago, 15 years after the Roman theatre museum was inaugurated, the excavations continued and enabled the western section of the portico to be restored, murals to be extracted from the gallery interior and the excavation to be extended towards the central plaza.
