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Origin and history

The Garnier Opera, or Garnier Palace, is an emblematic monument of the Second Empire, designed by architect Charles Garnier after a competition launched in 1860. Its construction, decided by Napoleon III as part of the Haussmannian transformations in Paris, was marked by major technical challenges, including the management of an unexpected groundwater table, resolved by the creation of an underground tank. Inaugurated in 1875 under the Third Republic, it became the heart of Parisian cultural life, home to an academy of music, choreography and lyrical poetry.

The original project was motivated by an attack on Napoleon III in 1858, which prompted the emperor to command a new, safer and more prestigious opera. Garnier, a young architect who won the Rome Grand Prix, proposed an eclectic design combining Renaissance, baroque and technical innovations, such as the discreet use of metal. Despite criticism of his style considered too adorned or disparate, his work was a symbol of modernity, incorporating advances such as electric lighting in 1887.

The opera Garnier is distinguished by its large monumental staircase, its sumptuous home inspired by Renaissance castles, and its horse-drawn iron showroom that can accommodate 2,000 spectators. Ranked a historic monument in 1923, it also houses stage innovations, such as a "Italian-style" machinery and an underground water reservoir, the source of the legend of the "lake" popularized by Gaston Leroux Opera Ghost. His ceiling, originally painted by Jules-Eugène Lenepveu, was covered in 1964 by a work by Marc Chagall, causing aesthetic controversy.

Over the decades, Opera Garnier has hosted major creations, such as the Boléro de Ravel in 1928, and artistic figures such as Serge Diaghilev or Rudolf Noureev. It has also undergone modernizations, such as complete electrification or restoration of its facades, while maintaining its central role in French cultural life. Today, he coexists with opera Bastille at the Opéra national de Paris, perpetuating an exceptional architectural and artistic heritage.

The main façade, adorned with allegorical sculptures such as The Dance of Carpeaux, and the interior decorations, where marbles, gilding and mosaics mix together, reflect Garnier's ambition to create a "total theatre". Spaces such as the dance focal point, designed for ballet body rehearsals, or the library-museum, testify to this desire to combine functionality and beauty. Despite tumultuous episodes, such as the 1936 fire or budget restrictions, the Palais Garnier remains a jewel of Parisian heritage, visited by millions of people each year.

Future

This opera has long been called "Opéra de Paris", but since the opening of Opéra Bastille in 1989, it has been referred to only by the name of its architect: "Opéra Garnier" or "Palais Garnier". The two operas are now grouped within the public industrial and commercial establishment "Opéra national de Paris".

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