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The Teatro Nacional São Carlos is an opera house in Lisbon. It was opened on July 30 1793 by queen Maria I of Portugal as a replacement for the Phoenix Opera House which was destroyed in the 1755 Lisbon earthquake. The interior, inspired by La Scala, has a rococo style and seats 1,148. The theatre is located in the historical center of Lisbon, in the Pombaline district, near Chiado.
The first opera presented was Rossini's Tancredi, starting the 1815 season. Between 1828 and 1834, the São Carlos was closed due to the Portuguese Civil War, fought between kings Miguel I and Pedro IV. In 1850, the lighting of the interior was changed to gas illumination, the latest technology available. Shortly afterwards, the Portuguese state bought the theatre from private investors. After a few failed attempts, electrical illumination was installed in 1887. From 1935 to 1940, the theatre was closed for repairs. Following the Carnation revolution of April 25 1974, that marked the end of the fascist regime of Salazar, the theatre was reorganized and a permanent opera company was established. In 1983 the Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa was created.
External link
- Teatro Nacional de São Carlo website (http://www2.saocarlos.pt/) (in Portuguese)