Build around 1557 by the Counts of Zimmern, Messkirch Castle is reputed to be the earliest quadrangular Renaissance structure north of the Alps. The castle's main showpiece is the large ceremonial hall with its magnificent coffered ceiling, which today provides a festive setting not just for concerts and exhibitions, but also for weddings and conferences. In summer, the castle's inner courtyard and adjoining gardens also serve as an impressive backdrop for concerts, theatre performances, classic car meetings and markets. Fringe theatre and cabaret in the informal ambience of the castle cellars are a unique experience.
References:The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens. It was built in 161 AD by the Athenian magnate Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. It was originally a steep-sloped theater with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden roof made of expensive cedar of Lebanon timber. It was used as a venue for music concerts with a capacity of 5,000. It lasted intact until it was destroyed and left in ruins by the Heruli in 267 AD.
The audience stands and the orchestra (stage) were restored using Pentelic marble in the 1950s. Since then it has been the main venue of the Athens Festival, which runs from May through October each year, featuring a variety of acclaimed Greek as well as International performances.