There are three villages, two theatres. “the ancient theatre of Epidaurus” is located 14 kilometres outside the old Epidaurus, in the village we now call Lygourio. In Old Epidaurus, the most beautiful of the villages in the area, is the Little Theatre, which is also ancient, of about the same era (4th century BC) and indeed small as its name suggests. There is a third village, Nea Epidaurus, which has no theatre but has one of the most beautiful gorges of the entire Peloponnese, which will delight hiking enthusiasts.
We will visit the ancient Epidaurus and by car we will visit the ancient theatre of Epidaurus.
The theatre of Epidaurus in numbers
– The Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus has 2,358 years of history. Its construction is estimated around 340 BC.
– It operated for 766 years, before Theodosius of Byzantium issued a decree banning its operation (as well as the operation of all Asclepion’s theatres) in 426 AD.
– It was in 1938, after 1,512 years of silence, that performances began again, with Sophocles’ Electra directed by Dimitris Rontiris and starring Katina Paxinou.
– In 1955, the Epidaurus Festival was finally established, which continues to this day every summer.
– The Ancient Theatre has a capacity of about 12,000 spectators and the Little Theatre has a capacity of 2,000 spectators.
