Italy Guide
The Veneto
Teatro Olimpico
Address: Piazza Matteotti
Price: €8
Across the Piazza Matteotti is the one building in Vicenza you shouldn't fail to go into – the Teatro Olimpico, the oldest indoor theatre in Europe. Approached in 1579 by the members of the Olympic Academy (a society dedicated to the study of the humanities) to produce a design for a permanent theatre, Palladio devised a covered amphitheatre based on his studies of Roman works. He died soon after work commenced, and the scheme was overseen by Scamozzi, who added the backstage perspective of a classical city, creating the illusion of long urban vistas by tilting the "streets" at an alarming angle. The theatre opened on March 3, 1585 and is still used for plays and concerts.