Page 176 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Venice & The Veneto

174  THE VENE T O AREA B Y AREA

Vicenza: Teatro Olimpico

Europe’s oldest surviving indoor theatre, the
Teatro Olimpico is an elegant and remarkable
structure, largely made of wood and plaster
and painted to look like marble. Fashionable
architect Andrea Palladio (see pp28–9) began
work on the design in 1579, but he died the
following year without finishing it. His pupil,
Vincenzo Scamozzi, took over the project and
completed the theatre in time for its ambitious
opening performance of Sophocles’ tragic
drama, Oedipus Rex, on 3 March 1585.
Bacchantes
Euripides’ Greek tragedy is still
performed using Scamozzi’s
versatile scenery.

. Odeon Frescoes
The gods of Mount Olympus,
after which the theatre is
named, decorate the
Odeon, a room used
for music recitals.

KEY
1 The Anteodeon’s frescoes
(1595) depict the theatre’s opening
performance. Oil lamps from the
original stage set are also on display.
2 Main ticket office is located
in the tourist office next to the
courtyard entrance
3 The auditorium was designed
by Palladio to resemble the outdoor . Stage Set
theatres of ancient Greece and Scamozzi’s scenery
Rome, such as the arena at Verona represents the Greek
(see p197), with a semicircle of city of Thebes. The streets
“stone” benches (actually made are cleverly painted in
of wood) and a ceiling painted perspective and rise at
to portray the sky. a steep angle to give the
illusion of great length.

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