The Theatre of Pola

IN Dalmatia there is an ancient town called Pola, lying by the Sea side, wherin you may sée a great part of a Theatre; in the making whereof, the expert workeman did helpe himselfe with the hill whereon it standeth, vsing the hill for part of the degrées or steps to goe vp, and in the playne below, he made the Orchestra, Scene, and other buildings belonging to such a piece of worke. And in trueth, the tuines and the pieces which are yet at this day found, doe shew that it was a most beautifull and sumptuous piece of worke of stone and workemanship; besides this, there you may sée a great number of Columnes, some standing alone, others with Pilasters, and some Corners with foure square Pillars, and some halfe round, all bound together, and well wrought, after the Corinthia; for the whole work, both without and within, was made after the Corinthia manner. This Building was measured with a moderne or vsuall s•te; which foote is deuided into twelue parts, named ounces, whereof the one halfe hereafter followeth. The Figure hereafter following, sheweth the Ichnographie, and also the Profill of the Theatre, whereof this is the measure: the widenesse of the Orche •ra which is halfe a Circle, is in Diameter about 130. foote. the degrees or steps round about, with the two wayes or stréetes, are of 70. foot: the way marked T. comes euen with the plaine of the Pulpit of the Scene to the fouretéenth step. The widenesse of the Porticus round about the Theatre, is 15. foote, and the sides of the Pillars inward, is of 17. foot & a halfe, but the fore-rancke of the Pillars round about the Gallery, together with the Columnes, holdeth about five foot in bredth, and from the one Pilaster to the other, it is about 10. foot wide: and this is touching the ground of this Theater. The two greatest Quadrans marked O. are the Hospitalia, from the which places men went into the entry or passing through, marked T. which comes by to the street, halfe way to the steps, as you may perceiue by the Profill marked T. and vnder the going through, is part of the going in. The Hospitalia is flue and fourtie foote, the bredth of the Scene, is 21. foot, the bredth of the Porticus or Gallery before, is 27 foote, and the length is like the house, the Building which standeth aboue the ground of the Theatre, signifieth the Profill, which is cut through the sides of the Theatre. The Arch marked with A. signifieth the going in, the second Arch C. and B. are vnder the steps, the Cornice besides marked, with D. is the impost of the Arches: there néded no going vp to this Theatre, for the hill aforesayd eased the workeman therein, and men might also got vp to the Theatre from the Scene, because it was ioyned to the sayd Theatre: but the Theatre of Marcellus is seperated from the Scene, and therfore the goings vp were necessary.

THis Theater (as I haue sayd) was very rich of ornaments, all of stone, and made of Corinthia worke, very well and richly wrought, and by as much as is séene by the ruines which lie scattering about the Scene, was very beautifull of Columnes vpon Columnes, both double and single, and also in the innermost and outtermost parts, with diuers ornaments of Doores and Windowes. The innermost part of the Building is much ruinated: and touching the measures, I can say little; but of the outtermost parts, I will say somewhat of their measures. The first, a rusticall or clounish order, wherein there is no Columnes, is eleuated from the earth, together with the whole Cornice, marked E. about 16. foote: the height of the first Pedestall, is flue foote, the height of the Columnes with the Bases and Capitals, is 22. foot; the thickenesse of the Pillars, with the Columnes, is 5. foote: the thicknesse of the Columnes alone, is two foote and a halfe: the widenesse of the Arches, is about ten foote: and their height twenty foots: the height of the Architraue, Freese and Cornice, is about flue foote; the second Pedestall marked X. is of foure foote and a halfe: the height of those Columnes are about sixtéene foot, the Architraue, Fréese and Cornice, is foure foot high. I set not downe the measures of the particular members, but in the Figure you may conceaue them; for they are iust of the same proportion: I set not downe the measure of the Scene, nor of the other parts within: onely I haue here set foorth a part of the Porticus of the Scene, which is marked P. And also the Cornice, Fréese and Architraue marked F. was in the highest thereof. the Capitals marked S. stoode within, with some halfe round Columnes, raysed out of some Pilasters, things that were very well wrought: all which things (as I sayd before) are so sumptuous, both for stone and workemanship, as they may well be compared with those of Rome: the Cornice, Fréese and Architraue, marked A. was in the highest part of the Theatre: the Cornice marked B. is the impost of the second Arch: the Architraue, Fréese and Cornice, marked C. is the Cornice aboue the first Arch, the Cornice marked D. is the impost of the Arch: the Cornice marked with E. goeth aboue the rusticall basement round about the Building: this line hereunder is halfe a foote, •f the whole foote wherewith this Building was measured. And wonder not, gentle Reader, that I set not downe all the measures more precisely; for these things of Pola, were measured by one that had more vnderstāding in casting, then in measuring.