The Olympic theatre is the oldest surviving indoor theater in the world, located in Vicenza. It was constructed in 1580-1585-m years by the architect Andrea Palladio and was his last creation. Unusual decor of the scene in the technique of trompe-l'oeil, as the architect Vincenzo Scamozzi, who completed the theatre after the death of Palladio. Today, the world's oldest theatrical scenery, still used in productions. In 1994, the year the Olympic theatre was included in the UNESCO world Cultural Heritage site by UNESCO.

As mentioned above, the theatre was the last great project of Palladio, who returned to his hometown in 1579, the year and brought with him invaluable experience – throughout his life he studied the architecture of Ancient Rome. By that time, the architect, the former the founder of the Olympic Academy, has already built a number of temporary theatres in Vicenza. In 1579, the year the Academy received permission for the erection of a permanent theatre on the site of an ancient fortress of the Castello del Territorio, which was used as a prison and powder store before coming in decline. Palladio enthusiastically took up the project, he was going to build an exact copy of the ancient Roman theatre, but just six months after construction began, he died. Work on the first theatre was continued by his son Silla and then started another prominent architect, Vincenzo Scamozzi. He relied on the drawings of Palladio, but made some of their elements – for example, the halls of Odeo and Antidio and arched passage leading through the old medieval wall into the courtyard of the fortress. And, of course, do not forget that the Scamozzi was the author of the famous scenery of the scene.

Olympic theatre was inaugurated in 1585, the year, but after a few performances it was abandoned. While the scenery created for the first plays – Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, never left the walls of the theatre – they were not damaged during the bombing of the city during the Second World war and other vicissitudes of history. Created by Scamozzi lighting system was also used only a few times because of its expensiveness. Today on the stage of the Olympic theatre do plays and musical performances, however, the capacity of the theatre is limited to only 400 spectators – in order to preserve the monument. In this theatrical only two seasons – spring and autumn. Winter and summer the theatre is closed, as it has no heating and air conditioning, so as not to damage the delicate wooden structures.