HUNDREDS of ancient Roman gold coins have been discovered on the site of an old theatre in Como in northern Italy.

The theatre, which was inaugurated in 1870 and later became a cinema before closing in 1997, was due to be demolished to allow the construction of luxury flats.

The theatre, found in Kent, had a nearly circular orchestra pit with a narrow stage set much further back than in traditional theatres. It would have seated 12,000 people.

Nero's Theatre had never been found and was only referred to in ancient Roman texts primarily by Pliny the Elder, an ancient Roman author and philosopher. Archaeologists had been excavating deep ...