A projector apparatus, comprising: a polarization beam splitter block assuming a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped that includes two end surfaces ranging orthogonally relative to a polarization beam splitting surface and four side surfaces perpendicular to the end surfaces; a surface light source disposed so as to face one of the side surfaces of the polarization beam splitter block, which, in operation, emits illuminating light including a first divergent light flux; an illumination optical system that is disposed between the surface light source and the polarization beam splitter block, arranged to convert the first divergent light flux with a first divergent angle emitted from the surface light source, to a second light flux with a second divergent angle which is smaller than the first divergent angle (L 11, L 12, L 21, L 22), and to direct the second light flux, which is not a parallel light flux, to the polarization beam splitter block; a reflection-type liquid crystal display element that is disposed so as to face a side surface as illuminating light output surface of the polarization beam splitter block, through which the second light flux having undergone polarization separation at the polarization beam splitting surface is output, and includes a rectangular display area through which the illuminating light having undergone the polarization separation is modulated to modulated light and the modulated light is output towards said illuminating light output surface of the polarization beam splitter block, the rectangular display area including at least shorter borders; and a projection optical system that forms a projection image with the modulated light from the polarization beam splitting surface, wherein: the illumination optical system comprises a component arranged for configuring it to have a greater refractive power along the shorter borders of the rectangular display area than the longer borders of the rectangular display area; and the reflection-type liquid crystal display element is disposed so as to set the shorter borders of the rectangular display area parallel to the end surfaces. a polarization beam splitter block assuming a shape of a rectangular parallelepiped that includes two end surfaces ranging orthogonally relative to a polarization beam splitting surface and four side surfaces perpendicular to the end surfaces; a surface light source disposed so as to face one of the side surfaces of the polarization beam splitter block, which, in operation, emits illuminating light including a first divergent light flux; an illumination optical system that is disposed between the surface light source and the polarization beam splitter block, arranged to convert the first divergent light flux with a first divergent angle emitted from the surface light source, to a second light flux with a second divergent angle which is smaller than the first divergent angle (L 11, L 12, L 21, L 22), and to direct the second light flux, which is not a parallel light flux, to the polarization beam splitter block; a reflection-type liquid crystal display element that is disposed so as to face a side surface as illuminating light output surface of the polarization beam splitter block, through which the second light flux having undergone polarization separation at the polarization beam splitting surface is output, and includes a rectangular display area through which the illuminating light having undergone the polarization separation is modulated to modulated light and the modulated light is output towards said illuminating light output surface of the polarization beam splitter block, the rectangular display area including at least shorter borders; and a projection optical system that forms a projection image with the modulated light from the polarization beam splitting surface, wherein: the illumination optical system comprises a component arranged for configuring it to have a greater refractive power along the shorter borders of the rectangular display area than the longer borders of the rectangular display area; and the reflection-type liquid crystal display element is disposed so as to set the shorter borders of the rectangular display area parallel to the end surfaces. the illumination optical system comprises a component arranged for configuring it to have a greater refractive power along the shorter borders of the rectangular display area than the longer borders of the rectangular display area; and the reflection-type liquid crystal display element is disposed so as to set the shorter borders of the rectangular display area parallel to the end surfaces.