Roman Malaga: Ancient Theatre and Other Remains, Malaga, Spain

Málaga’s Roman heritage is not immediately obvious. You can’t miss the Teatro Romano, but look hard enough and you’ll find other remains hidden away beneath the buildings of the historic centre. Together, they offer a picture of Roman Málaga, and of the subsequent civilisations that built over it.

The Romans were not the first to settle here: the Phoenicians established a thriving port and trading hub during the 3rd century BCE. The Romans arrived a century later, absorbing the region into their empire and creating an important industrial and commercial centre.

The fish-salting industry in particular flourished in Malaca (as the town was known in the Roman era). The city expanded and saw the addition of grand civic buildings and a large aqueduct. However, the arrival of the Visigoths and later the Moors led to the building of new structures on top of the ancient sites, with the result that much of Roman Málaga is now hidden.

20th century building projects uncovered a number of archaeological sites, revealing a city that was both industrial and culturally sophisticated. Many of these sites are now accessible to the public.

Located in the heart of the city, at the foot of the Alcazaba fortress, the Teatro Romano is the most substantial Roman monument in Málaga. Remarkably, although it was known that Malaca had a theatre, the actual site was not discovered until 1951, when it was found during construction work for the new Casa de la Cultura (Culture House). ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).