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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Victor-Hugo de Fougères Theatre, built under the Third Republic by local architect Jean-Marie Laloy, is part of an ambitious urban project including halls, library and justice of peace. Inaugurated in 1886, it met the growing demand of a growing population of workers, linked to the footwear industry. Its eclectic architecture, inspired by Angers' theatre, combines monumentalism and rationalism for 650 places, despite a modest budget of 160,000 francs.

The façade, classified as Historic Monument in 1990, illustrates the Second Empire style with its Corinthian columns, bosses and pediment adorned with masks of Comedy and Tragedy. The interior, sober but elegant, mixes painted decorations (green, red, gold) and carved elements like lyres or fern leaves. The room, originally designed with one floor and three balconies, was reduced to 250 places after its restoration (1996-2001), now incorporating administrative spaces and the tourist office.

Disused in 1970 due to the technical obsolescence and competition of television, the theatre avoided destruction through its inclusion in the Supplementary Inventory of Historical Monuments in 1988. Its rehabilitation in the same way allowed its reopening in 2001, complementing the cultural offer of Fougères alongside the Juliette-Drouet centre and the Espace Aumaillerie. The building now bears witness to the cultural dynamism of the city in the 19th century and its preserved architectural heritage.

The architect Jean-Marie Laloy, native of Fougères, designed a functional building despite the constraints of the steep and narrow terrain. The plans of the facade even served as a model for the theatre of Lisieux. Inside, the metal dome adorned with a trompe l'oeil and the lodges of the artists in the basement reflect a scrupulous organization, while the stage frame, decorated with angels bearing the city's weapons, concentrates most of the carved ornaments.

The theatre is part of a dense urban island, with its west and south facades integrated into residential buildings. Its location near National Street, in the upper city, makes it a major visual landmark. The limestone used, foreign to the region, underscores the desire for prestige of the local temples. After the 1944 bombings, which interrupted its activity until 1946, the building experienced a gradual decline before its rebirth in the 21st century.

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