Teatro Piccolo

Teatro Piccolo, also called the Odeon, is the smaller ancient theatre beside Pompeii’s Teatro Grande. Built around 80 BC, it was a covered venue for music, poetry, singing and mime. Its semicircular seating and surviving stage details give a close view of how performances were staged in the city. You cannot enter the theatre, but you can look in from an entrance and take in its compact layout. Allow time to notice the details and picture a performance in this intimate setting.

A theatre for music and poetry

Teatro Piccolo, or the Odeon, was built around 80 BC beside Pompeii’s larger theatre. Its covered design suited performances of music, poetry, singing and mime. The venue could hold around 1,300 people.

The theatre’s role differed from that of the Teatro Grande next door. The smaller space was used for performances intended for a more intimate audience, while the larger theatre accommodated other forms of drama.

Reading the theatre’s layout

The semicircular seating, known as the cavea, is divided into two parts. From an entrance, look across the seating and towards the remains of the stage decorations. The compact arrangement helps show how closely the audience was positioned around the performance space.

The entrances are closed to visitors, so the theatre can be viewed from outside rather than explored among the seats. Take your time at the available viewpoints to notice the structure and imagine the music or poetry once performed here.