Emona by the Drama

You are invited to the first public guided tour of the exhibition, which will take place on Wednesday 18 June 2025 at 10.00. You will be guided through the exhibition by Maja Lavrič (CPA ZVKDS), head of the archaeological excavations at SNG Drama Ljubljana and author of the exhibition, and mag. Jelka Kuret (RC ZVKDS) and the curator of the exhibition dr. Bernarda Županek (MGML). Reservations are required at prijava@mgml.si.

The archaeological excavations at the Ljubljana Drama Theatre covered an area of 1410 m² within the walls of the Roman colony of Emona, in its north-western part. The excavations focused on Insula XXXVIII along Erjavčeva and Slovenská cesta, while along Igriška Street a strip of Roman Road A (Cardo A), Insula XXXVII and Roman Road J (Decumanus J), with the associated cloaca and Insula XVIII, was excavated.

The results of the excavations exceeded expectations, as the archaeological remains were very well preserved from a depth of 0.70 to 3.30 metres. The oldest layers excavated date back to before the foundation of Emona, when the area was used by Roman soldiers. Major renovations of the residential parts with associated infrastructure point to a boom in the middle of the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, with a major renovation in the 4th century AD.

Archaeological investigations in the eminent area of the former Emona, north of the main square - the Forum, have yielded remarkable information on life in the Roman city centre, on the development of buildings, building and living culture, and the material culture of Roman daily life.

Mosaic in the exhibition Emona by the Drama

For the first time, two mosaics are presented in the exhibition. The first features a black-and-white geometric design, typical of Emona in the 4th and first half of the 5th century. It decorated the floor of the residential part of insula XXXVIII, a space measuring 3.8 x 3.4 metres. The mosaic is made up of centimetre-long cubes in black and white: on a black ground, white stripes and triangles follow each other.

The second mosaic shows mysterious letters, the meaning of which remains unexplained. It was discovered in Insula XVIII and dates from the first half of the 1st century. The space was once paved with clay mortar, in which mosaic cubes of an average size of 1,5 x 1,5 x 1,5 centimetres were then embedded. The four-coloured cubes are made of different rocks and baked clay.

The theatre mask

A Roman lamp - an oenoma, decorated with an image of a theatrical mask, probably dating from the 2nd century. It was discovered in a cave in the area of Road A, by Igriška Street. In Roman times, oil lamps were both economical and aesthetically designed everyday objects. Their motifs were also part of imperial propaganda. The motif of the theatrical mask on the fragment of an ointment presented here, however, symbolically links Emona and its interest in theatre with the theatre of today.

On the occasion of the exhibition Emona by the Drama. The splendour of the Roman house below today's theatre the Ljubljana City Museum and the Ljubljana Drama Theatre have also prepared special reciprocal benefits. During the duration of the exhibition, from 18 June to 26 October 2025, SNG Drama Ljubljana subscribers will be able to visit the City Museum Ljubljana and see all current exhibitions at a discounted* price. Visitors to the museum will also be able to take advantage of the benefits at SNG Drama Ljubljana. With the enclosed museum ticket, they will receive a 10 % discount when purchasing tickets for repeat performances (touring, children's shows and premieres are not included) at the Drama box office, which operates on weekdays in the city centre in the SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana box office between 2pm and 5pm and one hour before the performance in the foyer of the Grand Stage at Litostrojska 56.
*The price of a regular ticket is EUR 8, the price of a discounted ticket for SNG Drama Ljubljana subscribers is EUR 6.