Operas in Brussels
Evenings, there is a lot to do in Brussels, but if you're looking for some high-class entertainment set out for one of the two impressive opera houses – genuine landmarks when it comes to Belgian cultural heritage. Opera Le Monnaie and Opera Royal de Wallonie both feature first-class artists in interesting and ambitious repertoire. Opera Le Monnaie as the older building dating back to 1695 is a very interesting structure, that evolved over time in the numerous renovations it underwent. Today it combines various styles both in terms of architecture and the works in stages.
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Opera Royal de Wallonie
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Address: rue des Dominicains 1
Phone: +32 4 221 47 22
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Price: 6 - 65 EUR
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Website: http://www.operaliege.be/
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Erected towards the end of the first quarter of the 19th Century by the architect Duckers, this theatre is a massive structure with its frontal facade being flanked by a massive marble colonnade. This structure was taken from the Medieval church of the Chartreux in Cornillon. The colonnade ends in a balustrade and tops the arcades of the ground floor. The pediment contains allegorical reliefs sculpted in a triangular formation.
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La Monnaie
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Address: Place de la Monnaie
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Price: 6 - 100 EUR
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Website: http://www.lamonnaie.be/
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This opera house, with an impressive Neo-Classical facade, rests upon a more ancient structure and provides Brussels with a centre for cultural life. The original building was erected in 1695 because Gio Paolo Bombarda, a banker affiliated with Maximilian II Emmanuel of Bavaria, opted for the construction of a building which would hold ballets, operas and theatrical performances. In 1700, its construction had already begun, yet it was continued by architects Paolo and Pietro Bezzi and the French architect Louis Damesme, who eventually finished the construction. The Louis Damesme-designed facade, completed in 1819, owes its final look to Eugène Simonis who sculpted the allegorical bas relief in 1854. The overall Neo-Classical atmosphere of the structure doesn’t clash with the modern top two floors, which were entirely refurbished during the major renovation of 1985-86.
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