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ARCHIVED - Enjoy a Roman Christmas in Cartagena; special tours, activities and opening hours for the festive season 2019
The most visited museum in the region offers virtual reality tours, family tours and is open throughout the festive season
Learn about Roman banquets on the “Feliz Navidad, Bona Saturnalia” tours in Cartagena
As has become customary in recent years the Roman Theatre Museum in Cartagena is offering special visits over the festive season to allow families to enjoy a trip to the most visited museum in the Region of Murcia, concentrating on how the Romans celebrated the “Saturnalia” festival on approximately the same dates as Christmas.
In the course of the “Feliz Navidad, Bona Saturnalia” tours the guides will explain Saturnalia to visitors as they make their way through the museum, all the while learning more details from an incarnation of none other than the Emperor Augustus, who apparently took great delight in giving Saturnalia gifts. The tour ends in the Roman Theatre itself, with the singing of a Christmas carol to try out the acoustics of the venue!
Saturnalia was held to honour Saturn, who for the Romans was the god of agriculture, and lasted from 17th to 23rd December. At the same time, it was a way of lighting up the darkest days of the year and welcoming in the first lengthening of the hours of daylight, and traditional presents included candles, small decorative figures and even money.
The Romans also held great banquets (lectisternia), at which the typical dessert was cakes with honey, and inside these buns a special bean was hidden. Whoever found the bean in their portion was named the “Prince of Saturnalia”, and all the others had to obey his or her orders for the day: similar to the sixpence in the Christmas pudding or the bean in the “Roscón de Reyes”, or just coincidence?
The Feliz Navidad, Bona Saturnalia tours are held at 11.30 on 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 26th, 27th, 28th,29th , 30th and 31st December and the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th of January, and are suitable for all members of the family aged 4 and over.
Prior booking is required, with group sizes limited to a maximum of 30, and the cost is only 3€ per head.
Booking and further information on 968 504802 and 968 500093.
Seasonal opening hours:
Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00
Sunday 10:00 to 14:00
The museum is closed on the 25th December and the 1st and 6th of January.
On the 24th and 31st December, and the 5th January, the museum is only open in the evenings.
Other tours and activities in the Roman Theatre Museum this festive season
All of the routes are in Spanish, although the museum can be visited at any time and an English language audioguide is provided. See bottom of article for booking information and link to static information about the Roman Theatre Museum in Cartagena.
Virtual reality tours
Virtual reality-enhanced tours are offered every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 during December and across the festive season, allowing visitors to see the building as it was in its heyday 2,000 years ago and enjoy a virtual “fly-through”. The first part of the tour which visits the museum is in Spanish, but all of the display boards in the museum are in dual languages. The second part of the tour which includes the virtual goggles is inside the theatre itself, and the goggles offer commentary in English or Spanish. It really is quite an experience to see the theatre how it would have appeared when in use and was a visit thoroughly enjoyed by the Ed.
Click to read a full report about this activity.
The tour costs 10 euros and lasts for one and a half hours.
Every Sunday
Ciudadanos de un Imperio tour
This guided tour is held every Sunday during the festive period at 11.30, and begins at the Roman Theatre Museum before heading towards the remains of the Roman Forum District and the Casa de la Fortuna. Tickets are priced at 13 euros per head (10 euros for those who qualify for discounts).
Duration: two and a half hours.
Every Saturday: Cartagena Sabor Tres Culturas
Other activities programmed at the Teatro Romano during the month include guided tours every Saturday relating the co-existence of Christian, Muslim and Jewish cultures in Cartagena during the Early Middle Ages. This tour begins at 11.30 at the panoramic lift in Cartagena and then takes in the Castillo de la Concepción, the church of Santa María la Mayor and the Roman Theatre, and ends with a tasting of a few Jewish or Muslim-style tapas. The event is being held every Saturday, priced at 13 euros.
Tickets for these activities can be purchased at the Roman Theatre Museum (tel: 968 504802 or 968 500093) or centres within the Puerto de Culturas network. Prior reservations are necessary as places are limited.
See Tourist Offices in Cartagena for further queries.
Click for more information about the Roman Theatre Museum, the most visited museum in the Region of Murcia, which is open between 10:00 and 20:00 from Monday to Saturday and 10:00 to 14:00 on Sunday, with an English language audioguide available: Museo Teatro Romano
Click for more information about the municipality of Cartagena.