Opera Garnier in Paris
The Opera Garnier is also known
as the Palais Garnier, the Opera de
Paris and, more commonly, the Paris
Opera. It can be accessed through
the metro station Opera.
The Opera Garnier was built as part
of the Second Empire’s Parisian
reconstruction which was led by
Emperor Napoleon III during the
1850s to the 1860s. He selected
Baron Haussman to supervise the
massive reconstruction project.
Today, the 2,200-seat Paris Opera is
located in the Place de l'Opéra in
the 9th arrondissement of
Paris,
France. It was designed by Charles
Garnier, and is considered one of
the finest examples of
Neo-Baroque
architecture.
The opera house was inaugurated in
1875, and it was officially named
the Académie Nationale de Musique -
Théâtre de l'Opéra. In 1978, the
building was renamed the Théâtre
National de l'Opéra de Paris.
It was
again renamed the Palais Garnier in
1989 when the opera company chose as
their principal theater the Opera
Bastille. However, instead of Palais
Garnier, the opera house’s official
name, Académie Nationale de Musique,
was written above the columns of the
façade.
Despite the many name changes and
the relocation of the Opera company
to Opera Bastille, the building,
like several others which have been
used as primary venues of the
Parisian Opera and Ballet, is still
referred to by most locals as the
Paris Opera |
