2542 FRANCE (Île-de-France) - Palais Garnier in Paris

2542 The façade of the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris

"Probably the most famous opera house in the world, a symbol of Paris like Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, or the Sacré Coeur Basilica", the Palais Garnier, built from 1861 to 1875, was the most expensive building constructed in Paris during the Second Empire. Originally called the Salle des Capucines, because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement, became known as the Palais Garnier, in recognition of its opulence and its architect, Charles Garnier.

The theatre is also often referred to as the Opéra Garnier and historically was known as the Opéra de Paris, as it was the primary home of the Paris Opera and its associated  Paris Opera Ballet until 1989, when the Opéra Bastille opened at the Place de la Bastille. The Paris Opera now mainly uses the Palais Garnier for ballet. It is a building of exceptional opulence. The style is monumental and considered Second-Empire Beaux-Arts style with axial symmetry in plan and eclectic exterior ornamentation with an abundance of Neo-Baroque decorative elements.

References
Palais Garnier - Wikipedia

Sender: Marius Vasilescu
Sent from Riga (Latvia), on 29.04.2016