BULGARIA
The stadium is one of the many preserved buildings from the time of the Roman empire in Plovdiv. Other buildings of the ancient city of Trimontium are the best preserved Ancient Theatre on the Balkans; fragments of the Forum / Agora, an Odeon / Bouleuterion, fragments of two aqueducts, fortification walls, thermae, a large and a small basilica, a synagogue, residential buildings. Stadium of Trimontium in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, is among the largest structures from the time of the Ancient Rome in the Balkan peninsula. The facility, approximately 240 m 790 ft m long and 50 m wide, could seat up to 30 000 spectators. Today, the northern curved part of the Stadium (sfendona) is partially restored and is one of the most recognizable landmarks of Plovdiv. The
Plovd i v was the most splendid town in the Thracian Valley. It was situated along the banks of the Maritza (or as it was called then, the Hebros) river and was an important trade center. Stories tell of the good life that the people of Plovdiv were leading – they were growing wheat and vegetables, harvesting juicy grapes, drinking wine and worshipping the Thracian gods. Plovdiv men were famous for their bravery and skills in battle, whereas Plovdiv women were well-known for their mesmerizing beauty
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Plovdiv was given various names throughout its long history. Some names are suggestive. The Odrysian capital Odryssa (Greek: , Latin: ODRYFA) is suggested to have been modern.
Plovdiv by numismatic research[7][8] or Odrin.[9] Theopompus[10] mentioned in the 4th century BC a town by the name Poneropolis (Greek: Π “town of villains”) in pejorative relation to the nquest by king Philip II of Macedon, who is said to have settled 2000 men, false-accusers and witnesses, sycophants, lawyers, and other possible bad mean.[11] According to Plutarch, the town began to be called so by this king after he had peopled it with a crew of rogues and vagabonds,[12] but this is possibly a semi-legendary name
The theater was only found in the early 1970s due to a landslide. This caused a major archeological excavation, including the removal of some 4.5 m of earth covering what was left hidden by the landslide. The restoration of the Roman theatre in Plovdiv is considered one of the best achievements of the Bulgarian Conservation.
The reconstruction was made strictly according to the method of nastylosis and the new material is clearly visible.