When Valeria Cafà describes Teatro Olimpico, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the world’s oldest indoor theater, she calls it a “hidden gem right in the heart of Vicenza.” Cafà, Director of the Museums in Vicenza, is proud of architect Andrea Palladio’s last work of art – a theater finished shortly after his death in 1580 – that is one of Vicenza’s top tourist attractions.

Americans new to Vicenza often find themselves strolling downtown along the main thoroughfare, the Corso Palladio, named for the architect. At one end, near Piazza Matteotti, there is a high stone wall. Almost hidden in plain sight, amongst the nearby palaces and villas, is an often unnoticed wrought iron sign above an archway. It reads “Teatro Olimpico.”