Description of the attraction
The historic building of the National Theater Dona Maria II is located in Rossio Square, in the center of Lisbon. The theater building stands on the site of the old Estaus Palace, which was built around 1450 for foreign dignitaries and noble persons who visit Lisbon on a visit. In the 16th century, inquisitors sat in the Estaus Palace, and executions were periodically carried out on Rossio Square. Surprisingly, during the Lisbon earthquake in 1755, the palace survived, but in 1836 it was destroyed by fire. The romantic poet and playwright Almeida Garrett made great efforts to make the decision to rebuild the old palace into a theater, and in 1836 a decree was issued by Queen Mary II to create a "conservatory for the performing arts."
From 1842 to 1846, the building was rebuilt. The building was designed by the Italian architect Fortunatto Lodi and built in the neoclassical style. In April 1846, the theater was opened, which was named after Queen Mary II. But the acoustic properties of the theater turned out to be weak, the theater was closed, and again the audience was able to get into the theater only after a few years.
One of the elements of the facade of the building, characteristic of this style, is the portico (hexastyle) with six Ionic columns, which used to be in the monastery of St. Francis in Lisbon, and the pediment is triangular in shape. Above, the pediment is decorated with a statue of the Renaissance playwright Gilles Vicente, who is considered the founder of the theatrical art in Portugal. The tympanum of the pediment is decorated with sculptural images of Apollo and the Muses. Famous Portuguese architects of the 19th century were engaged in the interior decoration of the theater. Unfortunately, most of the theater's interiors were lost in a fire in 1964. After reconstruction, the theater opened in 1978.
