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Origin and history

The Opéra Comédie, located in Place de la Comédie in Montpellier, is an Italian theatre inaugurated in 1888 after a fire which destroyed the previous building in 1881. Designed by architect Joseph-Marie Cassien-Bernard, a student of Charles Garnier, he embodies the climax of 19th-century bourgeois theatre. Its monumental façade, decorated with allegorical statues (song, poetry, tragedy, comedy) and a clock, is the work of sculptor Jean-Antoine Injalbert. The large white marble staircase, inspired by Garnier, underscores its role as a place of entertainment and socialism.

The large room, with a capacity of 1200 seats, organizes on five levels dominated by a chandelier of crystal and a dome painted by Jean-Baptiste Arnaud-Durbec. This latter famous Montpellier surrounded by artistic allegories and traditional Languedoc dances. The foyer, decorated with frescoes and a monumental ceiling (La Voix Lacté d'Ernest Michel), reflects the city's cultural ambition. The Molière Hall, perpendicular to the main stage, perpetuates a Montpellier tradition dating back to 1755: the association of a concert hall and a concert space.

The building experienced several devastating fires (1785, 1789, 1881), each followed by reconstruction. The Cassien-Bernard project, selected after the competition, incorporates technical innovations: electricity, metal stage machinery, and orchestra pit expanded in 1985. Ranked a historic monument in 2025 (after an inscription in 2020), the theatre has been the subject of major works since 2010: modernization of the stage cage (34 m high), restoration of the pre-scene curtain in trompe-l'oeil, and bringing to the standards of accessibility. These sites revealed remains of the 13th century ramparts, protected in accordance with the DRAC.

Managed by the Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier Languedoc-Roussillon, the venue hosts operas, concerts and cultural events. Its central location, 350 m from the station and served by trams 1 and 2, makes it a pivotal part of Montpellier's artistic life. The renovations, completed in 2012, preserved its historic character while adapting its infrastructure to contemporary requirements, such as the reception of people with reduced mobility.

The history of the theatre dates back to 1755, with a first room designed by military engineer Jacques Philippe Mareschal, characterized by its original plan combining a performance hall and a concert hall. After the Revolution, where it served as a place of propaganda, the building was rebuilt identically in 1788. The temporary wooden theatre, built in 59 days on the Esplanade after the fire of 1881, bears witness to the Montpellierans' attachment to their lyrical scene. Today, the Comedy Opera remains a symbol of the architectural and cultural heritage of Occitanie.

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