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The Royal Opera House
Almost a century of studies and research went into the Royal Opera House before it was finished. In 1768, Louis XV ordered the works to begin, in anticipation of his grand children's weddings.
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Architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel built a room in the shape of a cut-off oval. The simple balconies are staggered, improving acoustics and vision. There are no blind spots and being made entirely of wood, the room resonates like a violin.
Ceiling frescoPalace of Versailles
Ceiling fresco
Apollo preparing garlands for illustrious figures from the Arts, 1769, Louis-Jean-Jacques Durameau. On clouds shining with glory, Apollo receives from Venus laurel and ivy garlands to be given to the Muses who have contributed to the success of the Opera House.
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The King's private box
The room was inaugurated on 16 May 1770, the day of the marriage between the Dauphin and Archduchess Marie-Antoinette. At around 12.30, the couple entered the crowded Royal Chapel.
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They were given gifts, the ambassadors were welcomed, the King’s Game was played in the Hall of Mirrors followed by a feast held at the Royal Table in the Opera House.
The King's private boxPalace of Versailles
The royal box was fitted with a grille at the request of Louis XV, who wanted to attend performances as discreetly as possible. During festivities, he nonetheless sat in the amphitheatre below the box. The box with its grille was built in the planned location of a big ceremonial canopy.
The stagePalace of Versailles
The stage
The surround opens onto a 740 square metre stage, an exceptional size for a court theatre at that period. Until the Palais Garnier was built in Paris in 1875, the Royal Opera House contained one of the biggest stages in Europe.
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A formal grand ball was held on 19 May 1770 at the Royal Opera House to close the wedding celebrations of the future King Louis XVI. The Opera House was transformed into a ballroom by way of an ingenious device designed by engineer Blaise Henri Arnoult.
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A winch system lifted the stalls up to the level of the amphitheatre and the stage, on which was built a second room surrounded by colonnades and decorated with a ceiling painted by Gabriel Briard.
If you want to know more about the royal Opera, go to: http://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/estate/palace/royal-opera-house
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