Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Comedy of Toulon, built in the 1765s, was the first theatre in the city, composed of a rectangular hall with four levels of galleries. A few years later, a vestibule and a carved portal, known as the Toulouse Fantasies, were added to the rue de la Comédie (now Denfert-Rochereau Street). This theatre, though considered inconvenient, welcomed illustrious personalities such as comedians Talma and Rachel, or composer Offenbach.

By 1810, a larger construction project was envisaged to replace the building. The walls of Toulon were built around 1850 and the Grand Theatre was inaugurated in 1862. The old Comedy, disused, was bombed during World War II. Today, there are only two gates and a staircase leading to the old apartments in the direction. The main portal, which was listed as a historic monument in 1998, has an original décor combining music and comedy attributes.

The portal, the only remarkable vestige, features an engraved cartouche Fantasies toulonnaises, a medallion decorated with symbols (shell, child's head, horns of abundance), and allegorical sculptures. These elements are a rare testimony of the 18th century Toulouse theatre architecture, now integrated into the urban landscape between commerce and heritage memory.

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