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What was the Accademia Olimpica and why did it commission the Teatro Olimpico?
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Andrea Palladio
Villa Rotonda, near Vicenza, Italy, by Andrea Palladio, 1550–51.
The Accademia Olimpica was an organization of upper-class gentlemen in the Italian town of Vicenza who gathered to study, support, and participate in the production of classical drama.1
The academy commissioned the Teatro Olimpico from the architect Andrea Palladio in 1579–80 to serve as a dedicated space for the performance of these classical plays. The project was intended as an academic exercise in reviving the classical theatre of antiquity. By designing a permanent, indoor structure that functioned as a scaled-down version of an outdoor Roman theatre, the academy sought to create a sophisticated environment that honored their interest in the classical heritage of Greece and Rome.21