During the reconstruction of Paris by Napoleon III and Baron Haussman, an architectural competition was held to design a new opera house. An unknown architect by the name of Charles Garnier designed the winning entry. The result was the Palais Garnier:
The entrance for the tours is guarded by a bust of Charles Garnier, and a plaque on the base shows the plans for the design of the opera house.
The Palais Garnier was home to the Paris Opera until 1989, when the company moved to a new opera building near Bastille. Only a handful of operas are performed here each season although the Paris Ballet still uses the Garnier as its primary venue, as these souvenirs in the gift shop boutique attest.
The striking Grand Staircase is made of multi-colored marble and leads up to the foyers of the different levels of the auditorium.
At the foot of the staircase are bronze female torchères holding bouquets of light.
The Grand Foyer has a very opulent feel.
The ceiling of the Grand Foyer was painted by Paul Baudry and portrays scenes from the history of music.
The enormous mirrors along the side of the foyer contribute to the feeling of open space. We took the opportunity to take a self-portrait.
It seems as though every surface within the building is elaborately carved and gilded.
The ceiling of the avant foyer is no exception -- it is also covered in golden mosaics.
The auditorium seats 1900 people and when you enter, it feels like you have stepped back in time.
In the late 1890's one of the counterweights for the six-ton chandelier fell, killing a spectator and injuring several others. Gaston Leroux used this incident and other details about the opera as inspiration for his novel "The Phantom of the Opera". In 1964, Marc Chagall painted a new mural on the ceiling above the chandelier.
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