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Origin and history

Lillebonne's ancient theatre, located in the ancient city of Juliobona (now Lillebonne, Normandy), is a performance building built in the first century using a hill as a natural support. It underwent reconstructions and enlargements in the second and third centuries, before being transformed into a fortress at the end of the third century, during Germanic invasions. Only his stage, covered by a modern road, could be studied. Ranked among the first French historical monuments in 1840, it has been the subject of intermittent excavations since the 19th century, revealing a hybrid structure combining theatre and amphitheatre, capable of welcoming more than 5,000 spectators.

The monument consists of a cellara (gradins) with a hill to the south, an ellipsoidal arena (47.30 × 35.50 m) and an unexcavated stage building, partially buried under a modern track. Four phases of construction are identified: a small first theatre quickly replaced, followed by two intermediate states (II–III centuries) marking its extension, then its conversion into military entrenchment. The masonries, in opus mixtum (travertine and brick), include vomitory (access) and peripheral galleries added to increase capacity. At the end of the third century, baths were set up in the arena with use materials, testifying to its defensive use.

The excavations began in 1812, initiated by Count Caylus (identification in 1764), but became destructive before being suspended in 1840. They resumed in waves: 1908–15 (less invasive techniques), 1935–1939 (led by Albert Grenier), then after 20 years of abandonment, from 1960 to 1974 under Maurice Yvart and Georges Duval. A final campaign (2007–2009), led by Vincenzo Mutarelli, aims to integrate the monument into modern urban planning. Between 1940 and 1944, the site was temporarily used as a burial place for a German commander. Today open to the public, it illustrates the evolution of archaeological practices and the adaptation of ancient buildings to military needs.

Lillebonne's theatre is distinguished by its dual function: stage for theatrical performances (comédies, tragedies) and arena for gladiator or hunting battles. Its orientation, back to the sun, optimised the comfort of the spectators. The excavations revealed concentric walls, brick vaults, and traces of material reuse (burial blocks in the baths of the third century). The absence of complete excavations under the road limits the knowledge of its stage building, but the documentary studies and diagnostics of the 21st century (2000–2009) allowed to clarify its chronology and its integration into the ancient city.

Owned by the Seine-Maritime department, the site was protected as early as 1840 and was subject to ad hoc restorations. The interruptions of excavations (wars, abandonment) alternated with periods of rediscovery, as in 1960, where invasive vegetation required clean-up before further investigations. The reports published since the 19th century, notably those of Albert Grenier or Vincenzo Mutarelli, underline its importance in understanding Gallo-Roman urban planning in Normandy. Today, it is a major testimony of ancient performance architecture in northern France.

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