Triumphal Arch of Orange, southwest elevation

The Theatre of Orange is one of the best preserved theaters of Roman antiquity. Its auditorium is more than 100 meters in diameter and can seat more than 7000 spectators. It originally had a wooden roof, which was probably destroyed in a fire. It was closed by the church in 391 and subsequently used during the Middle Ages as a fortified stronghold of the Princes of Orange. In the 19th century, the theater underwent restoration mainly thanks to the efforts of the famous writer Prosper Mérimée in his function as director of the Monuments Authority.