Liceu
The Gran Teatre del Liceu (Catalan pronunciation: [ˈɡɾan teˈatɾə ðəl liˈsɛw]; English: "Great Theater of the Lyceum"), usually known as El Liceu, is an opera house in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It is located in La Rambla and is the oldest theater in Barcelona still in use as a theater.
Teatro del Liceo de Montesión (1837–1847) | |
Liceu façade towards La Rambla | |
| Address | La Rambla, 51–59 Ciutat Vella, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
|---|---|
| Public transit | Liceu metro station |
| Owner | Fundació del Gran Teatre del Liceu |
| Type | Theatre |
| Genre(s) | Opera |
| Capacity | 2,292 seats |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 4 April 1847 (founded 1837 in other location) |
| Reopened |
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| Architect |
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| Website | |
| www.liceubarcelona.cat | |
Founded in 1837 at another location, El Liceu opened at its current address on 4 April 1847. The theater was rebuilt after fires in 1861 and 1994 and reopened on 20 April 1862 and 7 October 1999, respectively. On 7 November 1893, on the opening night of the season, an anarchist threw two bombs into the stalls. Some twenty people were killed and many more were injured.
Between 1847 and 1989, the Liceu was the largest opera house in Europe by capacity, with 2,338 seats.
Since 1994, the Liceu has been owned and managed by a public foundation, whose Board of Trustees comprises members representing the Ministry of Culture of the Government of Spain, the Generalitat de Catalunya, the Provincial Deputation of Barcelona and the City Council of Barcelona. The theater has its own choir, (the Cor del Gran Teatre del Liceu;) symphonic orchestra, (the Orquestra Simfònica del Gran Teatre del Liceu; )and college of music, (the Conservatori Superior de Música del Liceu.)