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Origin and history

The Odéon Theatre, located in the Place de l'Odéon in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, was designed at the end of the 18th century by architects Marie-Joseph Peyre and Charles De Wailly. Commanded by the Marquis de Marigny, director of the King's Buildings, he was erected on the site of the garden of the hotel of the prince of Condé, ceded to finance the Bourbon Palace. This project, supported by Monsieur, brother of Louis XVI, and the Count d'Angiviller, was forced despite the opposition of the Comédiens-Français, threatened to lose their privileges.

Inaugurated in 1782 by Marie-Antoinette, the theatre first welcomed the troupe of Théâtre-Français. Its neoclassical architecture, inspired by Palladio, made it a model of Italian theatre, with a semicircular room and a benched floor, an innovation criticized. The building also became the heart of a new neighbourhood, designed by Peyre and De Wailly, where five streets converged towards a semicircular square, facilitating access and presentation of the monument.

The theatre was a place of political and artistic tension. In 1784, the Marriage of Figaro de Beaumarchais, judged subversive by Louis XVI, triumphed there despite the royal ban. During the Revolution, it was renamed "Théâtre de la Nation", then "Théâtre de l'Egalité", before being destroyed by fire in 1799. Reconstructed in 1808 by Chalgrin, he reopened under the name "Theatre of His Majesty the Empress", but a new fire in 1818 required a reconstruction by Pierre Thomas Baraguay.

In the 19th century, Odeon became the "Second Théâtre-Français" under Louis XVIII, welcoming triumphs such as those of Sarah Bernhardt in Phèdre (1866) or Ruy Blas (1872). In 1830 he was a home of the insurrection of the "Three Glorious". In the 20th century it became a national theatre (1971) and a symbol of modernity, marked by the occupation of May 68 and the direction of Jean-Louis Barrault, who made it an experimental place. Ranked a historic monument in 1947, it is now led by Julien Gosselin (since 2024).

The architecture of the theatre, sober and monumental, reflects its central role in Parisian cultural life. Its neoclassical facades, its Italian-style hall and its urban integration make it a unique example of 18th-century theatre. He was the victim of two fires (1799, 1818), each time rebuilt identically, preserving his heritage. Since 1990, it has been called Odéon-Théâtre de l'Europe, highlighting its international and contemporary vocation.

The theatre also houses the Berthier Workshops since 2003, a second modular room installed in former warehouses of the Opéra Garnier. This place, dedicated to creation and experimentation, completes the artistic offer of the Odeon. Ranked EPIC (Public Institution in Industrial and Commercial Character) in 1968, theatre remains a major player in the French theatre scene, combining heritage and innovation.

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