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Origin and history

Place Royale is a multipurpose building built between 1854 and 1862 under the direction of architects Pierre-Bernard Lefranc and Gustave Lévy. Originally planned to replace an unfinished church dedicated to Saint Louis, the project evolves into a theatre with concert hall and casino. The Saint-Louis theatre opened in 1862 with 300 seats, decorated in the Second Empire style by Toulouse's Virebent manufacture. Critiqued for his programming deemed obsolete, he closed in 1968 for lack of maintenance, before being renovated in 1984 under the impulse of Mayor André Labarrère, increasing to 430 places with decorations inspired by Romeo and Juliette and Opera Garnier.

At the same time, the municipality, close to its premises in the halls of Pau, purchased the building in 1876 to install the town hall, which moved in 1878. The theatre, closed again in 2013 for security reasons, reopens in 2016 after work. It has been run since 2020 by Éric Vigner. The building, marked by events like the climbing of Alain Robert in 2000, was listed as a historical monument in 2017. Its clock, signed Borrel, and its interior decorations bear witness to its rich architectural heritage.

The original project, launched in 1839 by Mayor Joseph-Raymond Nogué, had been abandoned for lack of payment to the architect. Rebuilt in 1854 thanks to a consortium of Paloese shareholders, the theatre replaces the old theatre of Gramont Square, now destroyed. The frescoes of the dome, inspired by that of Chagall at the Opéra Garnier, and the successive renovations reflect his artistic and functional evolution. The town hall, still in place, shares space with the theatre, symbolizing the alliance between culture and public administration.

Among the notable anecdotes, the fall of an element of decor in 2013 precipitated a new closure, while the work of 2016 allowed a wider reopening to various conferences and shows. The building, owned by the commune, embodies the urban and cultural history of Pau, mixing heritage of the Second Empire and modernity.

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