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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Italian theatre in Douai, located on Rue de la Comédie, was built between 1783 and 1785 under the direction of the entrepreneur Charles-Louis-Barthélémy Denis, on the order of the city's aldermen. Inaugurated on 4 December 1785 (or February 1786 according to the sources), he replaced a hall deemed obsolete. Its typical "Italian-style" structure includes a floor, horseshoe balconies, royal lodges, and a paradise, reflecting the social hierarchy of the era. The building, which became a national property during the Revolution, was bought by the city in 1810.

In 1810, the municipality entrusted to the decorator Pierre-Luc-Charles Ciceri the realization of stage backgrounds (palais, Molière's salon, rustic room, wood), supplemented by varied landscapes. The theatre quickly adopts technical innovations: gas lighting, electricity, and then electronics. During the First World War, German occupiers used it for their demonstrations, partially modernizing its machinery. Damaged during the 1940 bombings, he underwent several restorations, notably in 1922-1923 (painted ceiling by Maurice Rogerol) and in 2007 after two years of fire safety work.

Ranked a historic monument in May 2003, the theatre preserves 18th-century scenery and machinery, rare in France. Its vestibule leads to a 500-seat room, decorated with a ceiling celebrating the Customs poet Marceline Desbordes-Valmore. The lodges, spread over three floors, welcomed artists like Paganini, Liszt or Bonaparte. Today, it remains a major cultural place, hosting professional shows and local creations at the annual Theatre in Feast event.

The neo-classical façade, remodeled in the 19th century, features five committed columns and an attic decorated with the city's weapons. The interior combines limestone and brick, with a ceiling fireplace and a false frame dome. The decorations, restored several times (notably by Félix Robaut and Claude Boryczewski in 2009), testify to the evolution of stage techniques. The theatre is still owned by the commune of Douai, in the department of Nord (Hautes-de-France).

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