The Royal Theater or Teatro Real used to be called "Opera Theater", and is often mentioned under that name even today. The Grand Opera House is located directly in front of the Royal Palace, between Plaza de Isabel II and Plaza de Oriente. The building looks very nice, elegant and is built in a classic style. The royal palace was the residence of Queen Isabel II, and the royal theater was created thanks to her. In 1818, the Queen issued an order to build a theater, and in 1850, the theater was officially opened with a performance of La Favorite by Gaetano Donizetti.
Although the Opera House has undergone numerous changes during its existence, everyone really admires it today and it represents the main home of the Opera in Madrid, just as Queen Isabel II wanted. Throughout history, the building has been used for lyrical productions, for parliamentary sessions, and as a hall for dance movements and various other purposes. Political changes had an impact on the building, as well as the construction of the subway when the building was damaged. With a series of renovations and construction works, the building was opened in 1997 and its splendor was restored to its original purpose.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Royal Theater drew a lot of attention to itself and began to be one of the great and main European opera houses. It gained popularity and recognition with performances of operas by Giuseppe Verdi and Wagner, followed by musical performances of great works by the composer Stravinsky from the 19th century. If you are not able to attend the operas, we recommend a guided tour of the theater where you will learn the detailed history of the Royal Theater and enjoy its interior.
The theater has about 1.746 seats. Lisette Oropesa became the first woman to perform an encore on her own at Teatro Real on July 28, 2020.
The theater is often used for events that have nothing to do with opera and the annual repertoire itself, so it hosted the Goya Awards Ceremony in 2011 and the Christmas Lottery in 2012.
Author of the text:
Maja Glavaš, Bachelor with Honours in Communicology. Works in Tourism.
Contact: [email protected]; instagram: travel_europe1
