Overview

The growth of the European theater in the late 1500’s was a direct result of the Reformation, a religious movement that began in the early 1500’s and led to the rise of Protestantism. By promoting the use of national languages rather than Latin, the Reformation led to the development of national drama. By 1580, public theaters had opened in London and Madrid. Italy’s first permanent theater, the Teatro Olimpico, opened in 1585.