Modeled after the theaters of antiquity, this theater is a wood-and-stucco festival of classical columns, statues, and an oh-wow stage bursting with perspective tricks. Behind the stage, framed by a triumphal arch, are five streets receding at different angles. The streets, depicting an idealized city of Thebes, were created for the gala opening of Oedipus Rex, the first play ever performed in the theater. Although the theater was designed to seat 800 people, more than 2,000 attended on that opening night in 1585. In homage to Palladio, the theater has kept the original stage set.

Sit in the middle to enjoy the perspective. Rather than marble, the theater is all bricks and plaster with reinforcing iron inside. (That's a blessing — if it had been made of precious marble, Napoleon would have carted it all back to Paris.) Perspective tricks were a real turn-on back then. The main street is only 40 feet deep. To accentuate the illusion during the theater's debut, dwarves and smaller-than-normal oil lamps appeared in the fake distance.