The Bastille Opera: its history and its programme
Inaugurated on 13th July 1989 to mark the 200th anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, the opera house of the same name is a real monument to outstanding architecture. Much appreciated by music lovers for the quality of its acoustics and its superb programme, it also organises fascinating guided tours.
Bastille Opera Paris, much appreciated by music lovers
Instigated by François Mitterrand in 1982, its construction was the subject of a wide-scale tender process, which mobilised more than 1700 architects. In the end it was the project put forward by the Uruguayan Carlos Ott which was selected and came to fruition after years of work on the very site of the former Paris-Bastille railway station.
Since then, the Bastille Opera has staged the most famous operas performed by some of the world’s most talented artists. Performances of Rigoletto, Pelléas, Mélisande and Don Giovanni, are on the programme for the months ahead.
The exterior of this emblematic building is equally spectacular, with its transparent facades and its original shape. The surrounding area, renowned for its lively streets, is befittingly inspiring: the Place des Vosges and Victor Hugo’s house, situated nearby, are well worth the detour.
Bastille Opera:
>> 20, Rue de Lyon – Paris 12ème
>> Metro : Bastille station, lines 1, 5 et 8
Hotel de Saint Germain Paris, a peaceful hotel located in the center of Saint-Germain des Prés, on Paris’Left Bank.
