The 1,140-seat National Theatre of Costa Rica ( es, Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica) is

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

's national theatre, located in the central section of

San José San José or San Jose (Spanish for Saint Joseph) most often refers to: *San Jose, California, United States *San José, Costa Rica, the nation's capital San José or San Jose may also refer to: Places Argentina * San José, Buenos Aires ** San ...

. Construction began in 1891, and it opened to the public on 21 October 1897 with a performance of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's '' Faust''. The National Theatre stood as a cultural asset of the country during a time when coffee exports were a source of its success. It presents high quality performances, with artistic criteria being very high. The building is considered the finest historic building in the capital, and it is known for its exquisite interior which includes its lavish furnishings.

Construction history

Constructed in the late 19th century, when San Jose's population was only around 19,000 people, the theatre presented many private performances. Its only real competition was the ''Teatro Mora'' (also called the Municipal Theatre, or ''Teatro Municipal''), that existed for many years before the National Theatre, until it was destroyed and deemed unsafe by an earthquake. To finance the construction of a theatre suitable for name "National Theatre", the President of Costa Rica,

José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledón José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledón (6 January 1837 – 30 November 1917) was List of Presidents of Costa Rica, President of Costa Rica from 1890 to 1894. Rodríguez was born on 6 January 1837. He studied law at the University of San Carlos of Gu ...

decided to place a tax on coffee, then the principal export product. Later, one coffee planter begged the government to remove the export tax on his product and put it on rice and beans (also principal export products of the time). There were many problems during the early period of construction. However, the construction errors were corrected by an Italian engineer who was brought in to direct the process. It took seven years to finish the theatre, and the inauguration took place on 21 October 1897. The front of the theatre features statues of Calderón de la Barca and Ludwig van Beethoven. There are several monuments by the entry walkway including

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...

. The inside features the mural ''Allegory of Coffee and Bananas'' by Milanese artist Aleardo Villa, which is featured on the five colón bill.

The theatre today

As well as having performances several times a week, the theatre is a tourist attraction. Performances by the National Symphonic Orchestra (NSO) take place as part of orchestra's regular season, and include both Costa Rican and foreign composers.

References

;Notes

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:National Theatre Of Costa Rica 1897 establishments in Costa Rica Costa Rica, National Theatre of Costa Rica Opera houses in Costa Rica Theatres in Costa Rica Tourist attractions in San José, Costa Rica Buildings and structures in San José, Costa Rica Theatres completed in 1897 Music venues completed in 1897