Description of the attraction
The Olympic Theater is the oldest operating indoor theater in the world, located in Vicenza. It was built in 1580-1585 by the architect Andrea Palladio and became his last creation. The unusual decor of the stage is made using the trompe l'oeil technique according to the idea of the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi, who completed the construction of the theater after the death of Palladio. Today, these are the oldest theatrical sets in the world, still used in productions. In 1994, the Olympic Theater was included in the list of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Sites.
As mentioned above, the theater was the last project of the great Palladio, who returned to his hometown in 1579 and brought with him invaluable experience - throughout his life he studied the architecture of Ancient Rome. By that time, the architect, who was the founder of the Olympic Academy, had already built a number of temporary theaters in Vicenza. And in 1579, the Academy received permission to build a permanent theater on the site of the ancient fortress of Castello del Territorio, which was used as a prison and a powder warehouse before falling into disrepair. Palladio enthusiastically set about creating the project - he was going to build an exact copy of the ancient Roman theater, but just six months after the start of construction, he died. Work on the theater was first continued by his son Silla, and then another outstanding architect, Vincenzo Scamozzi, began to work on it. He relied on the drawings of Palladio, but also contributed some of his own elements - for example, the rooms of Odeo and Antiodeo, as well as an arched passage leading through an old medieval wall into the courtyard of the fortress. And, of course, do not forget that it was Scamozzi who was the author of the famous stage scenery.
The Olympic Theater was inaugurated in 1585, but after several performances it was abandoned. At the same time, the scenery created for the first play - "King Oedipus" by Sophocles, never left the walls of the theater - miraculously, they did not suffer during the bombing of the city during the Second World War and from other vicissitudes of history. The lighting system created by Scamozzi was also used only a few times due to its high cost. Today, plays and musical performances are staged on the stage of the Olympic Theater, but the capacity of the theater itself is limited to only 400 spectators in order to preserve the architectural monument. At the same time, there are only two theatrical seasons - spring and autumn. The theater is closed in winter and summer as there is no heating and air conditioning system to prevent damage to the delicate wooden structures.
