Paris Opera House

In 1860, a competition was launched for the construction of the new Paris Opera. It was the project of a young architect, Charles Garnier, which won unanimous approval due to its exuberant blend of eclectically baroque architecture. 73 sculptors and 14 painters worked day and night until its inauguration in January 1875.

The Garnier Palace was built from 1861 to 1875. It was originally called the "Salle des Capucines" due to its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. It quickly became known as the "Garnier Palace," in memory of its architect. The palace was the main residence of the Paris Opera until 1989, when the Bastille Opera was built.

The Garnier Palace undoubtedly represents what art was like during the Second Empire and symbolizes the luxury and pleasure of the French capital. With its 172 meters long and 124 meters wide, the Garnier Opera is the largest opera house in Europe with a capacity of 2000 seats.

Today, the Paris Opera mainly uses the Garnier Palace for ballet. The Garnier Palace is "probably the most famous opera in the world, a symbol of Paris, like the Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, or the Sacré-Cœur Basilica" (Hanser). It was made famous in the novel The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux in 1911, and then in its musical adaptation in 1986.