Cultural heritage, the "post-scene portico" is being restored at the Ancient Theater of Taormina. Scarpinato: «Work completed by the beginning of summer».

The conservative restoration work of the "porticus post scaenam", the back of the stage which opens to the south onto the grandiose landscape of Etna and the sea, has begun at the Ancient Theater of Taormina. An intervention desired and planned by the Naxos Taormina archaeological park, directed by the archaeologist Gabriella Tigano, which follows, approximately seventy years later, the historic restoration of the great archaeologist Luigi Bernabò Brea, who is responsible for the current configuration of the monumental complex with which it has been known throughout the world since then (1958-59).

The ongoing restoration works are entirely financed by Parco Naxos Taormina for an amount of approximately 500 thousand euros. The project is from “Laboratory for Historical Architecture stp srl” of Palermo, the director of the works is the architect Saverio Renda, the executing company is the company “Siqilliya srl” of Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto (Messina).

She also joined in supporting the project American Express which, with the coordination of Artfin, participated in the architectural design study, preparatory to these restoration and conservation interventions of one of the most iconic monuments of the Sicilian archaeological heritage.

«This time too, as happened in 2022 for the restoration of the steps, it will not be necessary to interrupt the use of the site by visitors who, indeed, where possible, observe the restorers at work with interest and curiosity – said the councilor for cultural heritage and Sicilian identity, Francesco Paolo Scarpinato, during the inspection carried out together with the director of the Naxos Taormina archaeological park, Gabriella Tigano – The works will be completed by the beginning of the summer and the usual season of shows».

The configuration of the "tailor-made" scaffolding was strategic to allow visitors to enjoy it during the restoration work. created in the two wings of the post scene and which safeguarded the scenery, unique in the world, where the landscape and nature become unique with the monument. A choice which, while on the one hand making the restorers' work more complicated - to work on the entire façade they have to go up and down from the individual scaffolding rather than moving horizontally from one side of the scaffolding to the other - made it possible not to affect the panorama so dear to visitors, albeit temporarily framed by the restoration site. Not to mention that, not being able to attach to the monument, the scaffolding required a sophisticated engineering solution and was designed as a self-supporting structure. Inside, comfortable stairs also allow scholars to be "face to face" with the post-scene wall (a grandiose three-storey building from the Roman imperial age) and to be able to closely observe the monument and some architectural and decorative elements. at heights that are usually unattainable. Thanks, in fact, to these scaffoldings over 12 meters high, some rooms on the top floor were reached with fragments of stairs leading to the third level of the scene and until now inaccessible to scholars.

«It is a fundamental moment for the study of theater – explains the director and archaeologist Gabriella Tigano – The post-scaenam building will, in fact, be the subject of targeted analyzes which will allow the acquisition of new data on the construction materials used. Such as the composition of the ancient conglomerates, but also of the cladding bricks, both ancient and modern, which present advanced states of degradation: indispensable data to proceed with the restoration of this sector of the monument".

Information note on the restoration work

The subject of this first batch of interventions is the grandiose three-storey building, which can be linked to the restructuring phase of the Roman imperial age, partially destroyed by the earthquake of 365 AD (like the frons scaenae), inside which, until a few weeks ago, there was a safety deck, erected for the G7 in 2017. The building, a construction in cement conglomerate and bricks, originally developed on three floors: a hypogeal one (consisting of a single long corridor, now used for the assembly of the actors' dressing rooms), a median one (at the level of the stage, consisting of a very high portico with seven arches, covered by a lowered barrel vault) and one upper, which completed the upper part of the scene from the south.