Teatro Andromeda

High up in the Italian mountain village of Santo Stefano Quisquina is a theater unlike any you’d find within a city. Lorenzo Reina, a sculptor and farmer, spent 30 years creating the Teatro di Andromeda as an amalgamation of his two great passions: art and nature.

Reina, who was born to a farming family, soon discovered his heart was in art, particularly sculpture. He went off to chase his dreams, but returned to run the family farm after his father fell ill.

He managed to make the farm his own by slowly building a spectacular open-air theater. His creation is perched on a hillside within his 300-acre property that also houses donkeys and sheep. 

The theater is a wonderful sight to behold. Stunning views of the surrounding landscape become the backdrop for the stage. Its 108 stone seats correspond to points in the Andromeda constellation. When seen from above, each seat forms the shape of an eight-pointed star.

Scattered around the theater and its environs are Reina’s other works of art. You’ll find a piece that depicts Icarus on the ground with feathers melted around him. Another piece is a hollow face, titled the “The Mask of the Word.” There’s even an octagonal museum that houses more of his work. 

The theater, which is among the highest open-air performance spaces in the world, hosts events during the warmer months, giving artists and visitors an experience like no other.