November 2005 - The Paris Opera House and its Environs

Paris has two opera houses, a modern one (inaugurated in 1989) located on place de la Bastille, and a 19th century one (inaugurated in 1875) located on place de l'Opéra. To many, the 19th century opera house best represents the effervescent spirit of Paris, perhaps because it is identified with dramatic events of the Second Empire and the Third Republic. It was built from 1862 to 1875, a period that overlapped these two political regimes. The urban texture of the city of Paris was undergoing profound transformation at this time, and the opera house would come to symbolize this change.

In this month's newsletter, we take a look at the 19th century opera house, called the Palais Garnier.