Teatro Olimpico: Vicenza

: Palladio’s Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza is a masterpiece. Imagine a Roman style amphitheatre that’s been transplanted indoors, a Roman theatre stage with a Porta regia (triumphal arch) and trompe l’oeil street views that give the illusion of looking down the streets of a city from classical antiquity ((it was originally intended to represent Thebes in “Oedipus Rex“)). Although the Teatro Olimpico was built during the Renaissance period, the structure takes us way back in time. As one travel presenter puts it, “Illusion becomes pure theater in Teatro Olimpico”. Teatro Olimpico was Andrea Palladio’s last work. Having returned to his native Vicenza in 1579, he was commissioned by the Accademia Olimpica, a cultural group which he was a member of, to build a theatre in 1580. Palladio was very much inspired by Roman classical theatres. Six months after construction had started in 1580, he died unexpectedly at the age of 72. Vincenzo Scamozzi, another accomplished Vicenza architect, was engaged to complete the project. Scamozzi had inherited several of Palladio’s unfinished projects, so he was no stranger to Palladio’s designs. Teatro Olimpico is often described as one of Vicenza’s artistic wonders. It was Scamozzi’s genius that made the building into the UNESCO World Heritage listed site that it is today. For more details about our visit to the amazing Teatro Olimpico, please check out “Teatro Olimpico - A Palladian Masterpiece“ () on our website. Please have a look our other videos too, and if you like them, why not subscribe to our Travelsignposts YouTube channel? Just click on this link: