Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe district
The Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe was inaugurated in 1782 as the Théâtre-Français to house the Comédie-Française company. Located on the Place de l’Odéon, north of the Luxembourg Palace, it is the oldest theatre in Paris. The building and the square were built on the site of the Hôtel de Condé, a private mansion demolished in 1779.
The circular Place de l’Odéon is lined with buildings with concave facades. The streets leading to it are named after famous playwrights: Rue Corneille, Rue Racine, Rue Casimir Delavigne, Rue Créillon, Rue Regnard, and Rue Retrou.
The Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe exudes classical elegance, with a facade adorned with graceful arcades and imposing Doric columns, evoking the order of Apollo, “leader of the Muses.”
The architecture and interior decoration are also in the Neoclassical style, inspired by Antiquity. Two symmetrical and monumental staircases lead from the square vestibule adorned with Doric columns. These staircases lead to the public foyer, which has remained in its original state of 1783.
Many sculptures were transferred to the Salle Richelieu (Comédie-Française) after the fire in 1799. The hall nevertheless retains a Neo-Egyptian fireplace decorated with small genii holding mythological emblems and flanked by two sphinxes. The caryatids date from 1818, but the busts of playwrights Racine and Corneille (from the Comédie and Tragédie plays), as well as the paintings, were installed around 1875.
Following its restoration in 1808, the Odéon Théâtre became the first Parisian theatre with a semicircular auditorium and an orchestra pit equipped with benches. Since its last restoration in the early 2000s, its capacity has been 800 spectators. This restoration provided an opportunity to restore the auditorium to its original red colour and to modify the relationship between the stage and the seating. The slope of the stalls was indeed increased, and the stage was made horizontal, at street level, to facilitate set construction.
Like the auditorium of the Opéra Garnier, the ceiling of the Odéon Théâtre has been adorned since 1956 with a splendid fresco depicting Apollo the Sun and various figures from Tragedy and Comedy. This fresco replaced the original ceiling painted in 1888 by Jean-Paul Laurens. The Roger Blin Salon, the small foyer created at the end of the 19th century, now houses the theatre’s library.
A theatre of many names
The Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe is a theatre of many names, prestigious productions, and a long and tumultuous history!
Indeed, the Théâtre Français‘s beginnings were a resounding success, with Parisian aristocracy flocking to it on April 27, 1784, to attend the premiere of Beaumarchais’s The Marriage of Figaro.
However, it was renamed Théâtre de la Nation in 1789 and Théâtre Égalité in 1793. It closed its doors for a few months before reopening in 1797 as the Théâtre de l’Odéon, a fitting name derived from Greek meaning “place where one sings.”
Sadly, the theatre was ravaged by fire several times, leading to its reconstruction and reopening in 1808 as the Théâtre de Sa Majesté l’Impératrice et Reine, and suffered another devastating fire in 1818. It reopened in 1819 as the Second Théâtre Français and was placed under the tutelage of the Comédie-Française by Louis XVIII.
In 1853, under the Second Empire, it became the Théâtre Impérial de l’Odéon, and in 1871, with the proclamation of the Third Republic, the Théâtre National de l’Odéon. Over the years, it underwent various transformations and was renamed Salle Luxembourg, then Théâtre de France in 1959.
In 1971, it regained its independence and its original name, Théâtre de l’Odéon. Although placed under the tutelage of the Comédie-Française twice during this period, the theatre finally achieved full independence in 1990. Today, the Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe remains a hub of artistic innovation, offering an eclectic program of avant-garde and international performances.
Directions: 6th District
Metro: Odéon on Lines 4, 10
Coordinates: Lat 48.849742 – Long 2.338720
