In downtown Orange stands the Roman Theater from the 1st century AD, considered one of the best preserved in the world. For economic and static considerations, the theater was built on the slope of a hill. To do this, some passages had to be cut directly into the rock.
With the decline of the Roman Empire, the building shared the fate of many other ancient sites and was treated as a quarry. During the Middle Ages and well into modern times, many houses built in the area of the former theater formed a regular residential area of the city. During the French Revolution, parts of the theater served as a prison in which the enemies of the revolution were held in deplorable conditions.
It was not until 1824 that extensive renovation work began under the architect Auguste Caristie. Since 1869, performances and concerts have been taking place regularly in the “antique” theater, including, for example, the so-called Chorégies d'Orange. Today the theater can accommodate around 7,000 people; in Roman times it is assumed that the number was around 10,000. Only the first three of the original rows of seats remain.
Fragments of the 3.55 m high imperial statue of Augustus were restored - a replica of this original adorns today's scene wall, which is 103 m long and 38 m high. To the west of the theater are the ruins of a temple that was apparently dedicated to the deified Augustus.