Théâtre Graslin is a theatre and
opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for performances of opera. It usually includes a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and building sets.
While some venues are constructed specifically for o ...
in the city of
Nantes
Nantes (, , ; Gallo: or ; ) is a city in Loire-Atlantique on the Loire, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 314,138 in Nantes proper and a metropolitan area of nearly 1 million inhabita ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, built in a new district of the city in the late 18th century by the local architect
Mathurin Crucy
Mathurin Crucy (2 February 1749, Nantes - 7 November 1826, Chantenay, near Nantes) was a French architect and urban planner, who conceived a major Neo-Classical architectural programme for Nantes.
Life
The son of a lumber contractor, Crucy t ...
, and named after the owner of the land, Jean-Louis Graslin. Constructed in the Italian style, the auditorium holds 823 people.
Inaugurated on 23 March 1788, it quickly became a major opera house for the city which nowadays, along with the Grand Théâtre d'Angers, combines with Angers to form a joint Angers-Nantes opera.
Théâtre Graslin was destroyed by fire 1796, but it was reconstructed to coincide with the 1811 visit by Emperor
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
. It was restored again in 2003 and continues to be used for opera and other performances.
See also
*
List of opera houses
This is a list of notable opera houses listed by continent, then by country with the name of the opera house and city. The opera company is sometimes named for clarity.
Africa
Egypt
* Alexandria Opera House, Alexandria
* Cairo Opera House ...
References
Neoclassical architecture in France
Opera houses in France
Music venues completed in 1788
Theatres completed in 1788
1788 establishments in France
Squash venues
Buildings and structures in Nantes
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