I had visited Palladian Vicenza before but went back there on the occasion of the Robert Wilson production of Oedipus by Sophocles at the Teatro Olimpico, originally designed by Palladio. Known as the oldest surviving indoor theater in the world, the Teatro opened with Oedipus in 1585, which makes this the 433 anniversary production. Why 433 anniversary? I don't know. 

Teatro Olimpico is basically a Greek theater enclosed in a Renaissance building. Its most distinguished feature is the seven streets that extend into the back and the sides of the stage. They were originally created for the first production of Oedipus and were supposed to represent the streets of Thebes, Greece, where Oedipus was set. 

Wilson, an American artistic and theatrical giant of the last half a century, also staged Oedipus at the Teatro Grande of Pompei this past summer, but he was commissioned mainly by the Teatro Olimpico for this production tour, which will bring it to Naple next January and then to the Epidaurus Theater in Greece, yet another World Heritage Site, in June during the annual Epidauras Festival. (Wilson, who works mainly in Europe, has 7 different productions around the world this October alone.)

It was such a pleasure to see a Wilson production on a World Heritage stage.

To think about it, a few years ago Wilson gave a Peter Stern lecture on his aesthetics at the World Monuments Fund, the organization that does the real restoration of world's monuments.