P36
The theatre
The floors that come from Manzoni Street are constituted by simple white and grey marble tiles
according to the opus sectile technique. This technique consisted of geometrically cut precious
marble tiles of different colors. The geometrical motives were rhombus, circles and squares. These
floors belonged to the orchestra of the theatre and its remains are visible under the nearby San
Giuseppe church.
At a first moment, the tiles came from a holy building. It had been constructed nearby and later
destroyed, as it is demonstrated by the back of a tile with an inscription dedicated to the Lares,
dated back to the first half of the I century AC. Therefore, the floor in exam belongs to a moment
where the theatre had been increased and monumentalized. We date back to this phase also the
small herma of the beard Silenus and the fragments of stucco and marble related to a cornice.
1) F.Eusebio’s notes about the findings from Manzoni Road in Alba
2) Roman theatre
3) Planimetry of the opus sectile floors