Italy - La Rotonda and Il Teatro Olimpico

There were two attractions in Vicenza that seemed to be the most associated with Palladio, even though both were completed after he died, with Vincenzo Scamozzi working on both.

The first is La Rotonda:

http://www.villalarotonda.it/en/

The proper name is Villa Almerico Capra, from the priest who ordered its initial construction and the Capra brothers who completed it later, but everyone simply calls it La Rotonda. I said last week that Palladio was an influence on many, including Jefferson, but it may be easiest to see that influence here, especially if you compare La Rotonda to Monticello.

I find it sad that everyone there believes you can't go inside. Access to the public is limited to very specific times, but it is available. (The internet makes finding information like that a lot easier.) Otherwise it is used for private events. Of course, you can admire the architecture very well from the outside.

Il Teatro Olimpico

http://www.teatrolimpicovicenza.it/

It was actually Scamozzi that designed the onstage scenery, which is what most grabbed my attention, but the building itself showed his attention to the old Roman theaters, but also how to face the challenge of adapting an existing space.

The theater can only be used to a limited extent for its protection, but at least when I was there the schedule showed plays with classical themes. Sometimes these are actually ancient plays - the first play ever produced was Sophocles' Oedipus in 1585, and then that same play was performed for a reopening in 1997. When I was there the schedule showed French plays based on mythology, like Racine's Phèdra.

I suspect in the end that having a permanent scenery, and a fairly crowded one at that, is not really practical for producing plays, but looking at it is still kind of amazing.

If you are in Vicenza these are places you should see, whether you are an architecture fan or not.