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Heritage classified

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Origin and history

The Italian theatre of La Roche-sur-Yon, built in 1845 by Mayor Bazile Moreau, is part of an urban project initiated in 1804. Napoleon I had encouraged its construction by a decree of 1808, but financial difficulties delayed its realization. A temporary hall in the halls hosted performances from 1811, before a final project was launched in 1843, entrusted to Urban Pivard architect and decorator Louis-Lucien Penne.

The building, a neo-classical architecture with a Tuscan pediment and an interior dome, was inaugurated on November 2, 1845. Its horseshoe hall, typical of Italian theatres, offered a remarkable acoustic. The original decorations, now gone, were restored in 2005 according to the hues of 1888, integrating stucco, gilding and marouflage canvases representing Roman muses. The later Theatre Square was designed to highlight this central monument.

As early as 1874, the theatre underwent major modernizations: gas lighting, then electric in 1912, central heating in 1922, and installation of a cinematograph in 1920. After decades of intensive use, a complete renovation in 1977 and restoration in 2005 preserved its historic character. Registered as a historical monument in 1985, it remains a key place for local cultural life, hosting shows, conferences and screenings.

The Olof Palme fountain, added in 1986 on the Theatre Square by artist Bernard Pagès, symbolizes the city's urban and financial challenges. Its three broken columns and art-deco mosaics interact with the surrounding architecture, while the absence of a basin evokes the regional oceanic climate. This project, controversial for its cost, is part of the national programme "7 monumental fountains in France".

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