The Opéra de Nice in the old town of Nice stands where a theatre had existed since the 18th century; in 1826 the city had the Théâtre Royal built on the site. It burned on 23 March 1881 during a performance of Lucia di Lammermoor after a gas leak. The new building by François Aune, whose plans were approved by Charles Garnier, opened on 7 February 1885 with Verdi's Aida and has been called the Opéra de Nice since 1902. The horseshoe-shaped auditorium seats 1,083, and Emmanuel Costa's ceiling fresco shows Phaethon driving the chariot of the sun. The house gave the French stage premieres of many works, among them Eugene Onegin, and in 1903 the first staging of Massenet's Marie-Magdeleine. Its ensembles are the chorus, the Ballet Nice Méditerranée and the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra. It has been a listed monument since 1992.
The Opéra de Nice, opened in 1885, lies a stone's throw from the Mediterranean — the house with its Belle Époque architecture is part of Nice's tourist attractions along the Promenade des Anglais.
At a glance
- Type
- Opera house
- Location
- Nizza, France
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