The Paris Opera, known in today’s context as the Opera Garnier, is named in honor of Charles Garnier, a famous French architect and art historian. He designed one of the most significant and beautiful opera and ballet theaters in the world. However, in the 17th century, it was called the Royal Academy. It was not a tribute to fashion or an indication of luxury. The thirteenth Parisian opera in succession was opened because King Louis XIV, in honor of whom it was named royal, recognized this art form. Later, the theater changed its names more than once. In 1875, it moved to a new palace built by Charles Garnier at the behest of Emperor Napoleon III, where it remains today.

The magnificent Palais Garnier was erected in the off-beat beaux-arts style and is considered the standard of architectural eclecticism. But even such a pompous appearance can’t compete with the opulence of its interior decoration, which will strike you from the first minutes you enter the famous theater. The lobby, finished with various marbles, is decorated with a grand staircase leading to the theater halls and a foyer, where there are two huge bronze floor lamps shaped as women with bouquets. The high gala ceiling with rich stucco molding is crowned with images of music symbols. The spacious, horseshoe-shaped auditorium is designed in Italian style. The armchairs, tailored with red velvet, and the curtain with heavy golden tassels resemble the festive attire of the Roman consuls. The ceiling painted by Marc Chagall adds some airy lightness to the royal sonority. On a giant canvas with an area of 220 square meters, you can see scenes from “Swan Lake” and “Giselle,” “Romeo and Juliet,” and “Tristan and Isolde.” The characters from Bizet’s opera “Carmen” are in the center of the ceiling. Among them, you can find the main symbols of Paris: the Arc de Triomphe, the Palais Bourbon, and the Eiffel Tower.