The tiered seating of the Roman theatre rises up the steep slopes of Pipet Hill. With a capacity of some 13,000 spectators, the theatre at Vienne was one of the largest urban theatres in the Roman Empire, second only to the one in Autun. It was not until the excavations carried out between 1908 and 1938 under the supervision of writer and historian Prosper Mérimée, who was Inspector General of Historical Monuments, that this monument buried beneath thousands of cubic metres of earth was uncovered and restored. The theatre was brought back to life and now presents a summer season of shows, restoring its function as a place of entertainment and featuring opera, pop music, dance, and since 1981 the Jazz à Vienne festival, which quickly became one of the biggest Jazz festivals.
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