The Piazza And Palazzo Pubblico
Perfectly Correspond With The Beauty Of The Rest Of The City, And The
Promenades About It Are Tastefully Laid Out.
But the two most striking
objects in point of edifices in Vicenza and both constructed by Palladio
are the covered portico and the Teatro Olimpico.
The covered portico is
two miles in length and leads to the chapel of the Madonna del Monte,
situated on an eminence, at that distance from the city. A magnificent
triumphal arch stands before it, and there is an extensive view of the
surrounding country. The Teatro Olimpico is a small, but beautiful
theatre, built strictly after the model of the ancient Greek theatres. It
is peculiarly precious as being the only one of the kind in Europe. How
admirably adapted both for seeing and hearing are such theatres! It has,
for scenery, the model of a Palace, curiously carved in wood, which
represents a Royal Palace, for the ancients never shifted their scenes, and
this may account for their adhering so strictly to the unities. Statues and
bas-reliefs adorn this beautiful little theatre. Many years ago, on
particular occasions, it was the custom to act plays here, either
translated from the Greek, or taken strictly from the Greek model. This
theatre is esteemed Palladio's chef d'oeuvre.
The Campo di Marie is a vast Place outside the town. The Place and its
gate are well worth inspecting, so is the famous villa with the Rotonda,
belonging to the Marchese di Capra, the original after which the villa
belonging to the Duke of Devonshire at Chiswick is built.
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