One of the most popular architectural and artistic sites in the French capital, the Opera Garnier had a long and venturous history. Although the idea to build a grand ballet house in Paris was proposed by Louis XVI already in the 17th Century, The Opera Garnier project was brought to life no sooner than in the mid-18th Century by the emperor Napoleon III, who financed the construction of what was to become a symbol of Parisian excellence.

The works turned out to be harder and more time-consuming then estimated. An underground lake that was found in the area that was destined for the Paris Opera, which delayed the construction works by eight months. What's worse, already weakened by several civil conflicts, France got involved in the Franco-Prussian War, which ultimately led to the fall of the French Empire and many of the Emperor's projects, including that of Parisian Opera.

Several years later, however, a heavy fire destroyed the old Parisian Opera, which convinced the new local authority to finish the construction of the Opéra Garnier. The works were carried out according to the original projects submitted by a celebrated local architect, Charles Garnier, in the mid 19th-Century. When L'Opéra Garnier was finally finished in 1874, it amazed the world with its modernity and chic. Some find it ironic that similarly to the Eiffel Tower, L'Opéra Garnier was rallied against by civil protests who dismissed the building as 'ugly and misfit', claiming that it ruins the image of the city.

When in 1875 Palais Garnier was opened to the public, an unsparing gala was performed on its stage. Some of the first works to be staged at Garnier was Fromental Halévy's opera 'La Juive,' and Giacomo Meyerbeer's opera 'Les Huguenots.' Interstingly enough, the Opera Garnier itself became the topic of several artistic works including, Gaston Leroux's to Gothic novel, 'The Phantom of the Opera.'

Today few people would contest the unprecedented beauty and aesthetic appropriateness of Garnier. The building looks particularly impressive at night when its neo-Baroque facade is illuminated by the dozens of golden lamps and the glow of traffic lights. The two angel sculptures that overlook the Opera, however, look best around noon, reflecting the rays of sun so intensely that they can be noticed from miles away. The Opéra Garnier is without doubt one of the most exclusive cultural spots in Europe, drawing tourists and music lovers from all over the world.