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La Monnaie (Mint Theatre)
Brussels opera house, on the Place de la Monnaie. The first theatre was commissioned by Gio Paolo Bombarda and opened at the end of 1700 with Lully's Atys. The current building was raised after the previous one was demolished in 1818, on a design by Louis-Emmanuel-Aimé Damesme, and opened in 1819. On 25 August 1830, during a performance of Auber's La Muette de Portici, the audience's reaction to an aria helped spark the Belgian revolution. A fire in January 1855 destroyed the interior and left only the walls; Joseph Poelaert rebuilt it almost identically and it reopened in March 1856. The facade is neoclassical, with a pediment by Eugène Simonis and sculptures added after the reconstruction. Guided tours cover the theatre and the main hall, a space with historic machinery and the model of a Baroque Italian-style theatre, or else the set and costume workshops.
Add it to your trip on Wanloria →Things to do at La Monnaie (Mint Theatre): 2 missions
- Look at Simonis's pediment from the squareStand in the Place de la Monnaie and photograph the neoclassical facade with its pediment.
- Take the guided tour of the theatre on a SaturdayBook one of the Saturday tours at 12:00 and walk through the main hall and the museum space with historic machinery.
Near La Monnaie (Mint Theatre)
Frequently asked questions
How much time do you need for La Monnaie (Mint Theatre)?
Allow about 45 min for the visit.