Inigo Jones (15 July 1573 – 21 June 1652) was a famous English architect in the early modern period. He was the first person to introduce the architecture of Ancient Rome and the Italian Renaissance to Britain. His buildings were the first in Britain to employ Vitruvian rules of proportion and symmetry. He also made a major contribution as a theatre designer. He designed the scenery and costumes for many masques (a kind of early opera). 