GRAN TEATRE DEL LICEU

Description

Essentials about the Gran Teatre del Liceu in brief

For opera fans, a visit to the Gran Teatre del Liceu should definitely be on the bucket list of a Barcelona trip. After all, the Gran Teatre is one of the most important opera houses in Europe. From Callas to Caballé and Domingo to Pavarotti, the stars of the opera scene have been and still are on stage here. Those who are not so enthusiastic about opera should at least have seen the building. Located on the central promenade La Rambla, the opera house is one of the most beautiful sights in Barcelona.

The history of the Gran Teatre del Liceu

In 1847, the Gran Teatre del Liceu was opened according to plans by architect Miquel Garriga i Roca. With 4,000 seats, it was the largest opera house in Europe. In 1861, the Liceu was hit by a fire for the first time, which completely destroyed the auditorium and the stage. Just one year later, the opera house was able to reopen.

In 1994, a second, severe fire disaster occurred, destroying large parts of the opera building. After the fire, it was decided to rebuild the opera house on the same site and as faithfully as possible to the original. Thus, the glamorous foyer and the equally splendid Hall of Mirrors were recreated from the original premises. An auditorium with a restaurant was built below the concert hall and the stage was equipped with state-of-the-art technology. The seats on the upper floors had TV technology installed, since not all seats have a view of the stage. The geometry of the concert hall, which was otherwise faithfully reconstructed, was slightly adjusted in accordance with modern knowledge of acoustics. Five years after the fire, the Gran Teatre del Liceu reopened and now has nearly 2,300 seats on six levels. The opera house can be visited outside concert times as part of guided tours.