The Royal Opera House La Monnaie is the Belgian federal opera house. Among the major opera houses in Europe, it is a cultural meeting point in the center of Brussels and has been bringing people together for opera and dance performances, recitals and concerts for over 300 years.
Théâtre de la Monnaie History
The Théâtre royal de la Monnaie has been the main performing arts venue in the city since the 18th century. Today it is the main opera house in Belgium.
The name derives from the mint of the Duchy of Brabant, built in 1420, which occupied a portion of the site. In 1531 the mint was demolished and a square was set up. In 1695, Gio Bombarda, an Italian who served as director of the Théâtre du Quai au Foin and financial advisor to Governor General Maximilian II Emmanuel, sought to build a new theater to stage opera and drama as well as ballet. Designed by the architects Paolo and Pietro Bezzi, the Théâtre royal de la Monnaie was inaugurated in 1700.
In 1810, Napoleon Bonaparte decided to equip Brussels with an updated structure, but it was only under the Dutch regime that the foundation stone for a new theater was laid in 1817. The neoclassical building, designed by the Parisian architect Louis Damesne, was inaugurated on May 25, 1819. The simplicity and symmetry of the building, reminiscent of a Greek temple, will serve as a model for a style of architecture that will transform Brussels in the first half of the 19th century.
On January 21, 1855 the theater burned down and only the columns and reliefs remained. In the following year the building was rebuilt with the addition of the auditorium and the installation of the grand staircase in the foyer. Thereafter the theater was used only for opera and ballet. . In 1963 it was acquired by the state and designated the royal opera house.