Corral de Comedias de Alcalá

This courtyard playhouse in Alcalá de Henares, the birthplace of Cervantes, is among the oldest theatres still in use anywhere in Europe, opened in 1601. Set within a block of ordinary houses, its tiers of wooden galleries and benches surround an open stage, while audiences once stood in the pit below balconied seating reserved for wealthier patrons. Long hidden behind later cinema fittings, it was rediscovered and carefully restored, and now hosts a lively programme of drama that conjures the world of the Spanish golden age.