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Olympic Theatre (Teatro Olimpico) was the last work designed by Andrea Palladio and is considered one of his masterpieces. It’s located in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Vicenza, Italy.
History
The theatre was built between 1580 and 1585 for the Olympic Academy (Accademia Olimpica), founded in 1555. Palladio (1508-1580) never saw the completed project, and Vincenzo Scamozzi (1548-1616) stepped in after Palladio’s death to finish construction. It’s still in use today and is one of only three remaining Renaissance theatres in existence.
Admission
Visitors can pay €11 (as of August 2023) to see the theatre firsthand. Holders of a Biglietto Unico get free admission. It’s open daily except Mondays.
Entrance
The theatre is entered through an old medieval wall on Piazza Matteotti with an entrance arch designed by Scamozzi. On the other side of the wall is the courtyard of an old fortress.
After purchasing tickets, visitors pass through the Odeon, which features some incredible frescoes.
Auditorium
The intimate theatre is spectacular. Incredibly, it still contains the original stage scene from its inaugural production on March 3, 1585. The scene from Oedipus Rex was designed by Scamozzi and made of plaster and wood. It’s the oldest stage scene still in existence.
The scenery was meant to represent the streets of ancient Thebes and was never removed. Scamozzi used trompe l’œil to fool the audience into thinking the scenery goes on infinitely, but it only extends a few meters past the stage. His design was so elaborate that it allowed the homes inside the scenery to be lit with gas lamps from within.
The seating area is made of wood. Behind it are columns and statues to match the scenery on stage. The ceiling is painted to depict a cloudy blue sky.
Conclusion
We truly enjoyed our visit to the Olympic Theatre and were impressed by every part of it. It was definitely one of the highlights of our visit to Vicenza. We hope that on a future visit we can attend a performance there.
