Its facade is hidden by a large advertising tarpaulin obscuring imposing scaffolding, but it still houses one of the two rooms of the Paris Opera. Visited by a million people each year, the Palais Garnier celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025. A look back at its history and a visit to the premises.
Hard to believe, but the Palais Garnier was born from an attack. On January 14, 1858, Napoleon III and his wife Eugénie went in the evening to the opera, then located in the narrow rue Le Peletier, in Paris. An Italian conspirator, Felice Orsini, and his accomplices, threw three bombs towards the imperial carriage. The monarchs escaped miraculously unharmed, but eight people were killed.
Napoleon III then decided to build, in a less exposed location with secure access, a munificent palace which would mark his reign. An international architectural competition was launched at the end of 1860 on a plot chosen by Baron Haussmann, prefect of the Seine. No less than 171 candidates present their projects. Against all expectations, it was not Viollet-le-Duc, appreciated by Napoleon III, who won, but a young 35-year-old architect, Charles Garnier, winner in 1848 of the prestigious Grand Prix de Rome.
Construction work on the Imperial Academy of Music and Dance, begun in 1861, was interrupted in 1870 by the war against Prussia and then the Paris Commune. The building was then used as a military reserve. Food and straw are stored there. As early as 1867, Parisians were able to discover the facade of the future opera house, until then hidden under an immense fence. They were struck by its impressive dimensions and its style, a mixture of classicism and baroque luxuriance.
Construction resumed in 1873, the year of the death of Napoleon III who did not see his beautiful palace completed. Charles Garnier will fight so that the letters N and E, meaning Napoleon and Emperor, remain on the facade despite the fall of the Second Empire. In October 1873, the fire at the Opéra Le Peletier gave a welcome boost to the construction site which was getting bogged down. The sums necessary for the completion and interior decoration of the building were raised. It will take around fifteen years in total for the new opera to see the light of day for a total budget estimated at 36 million gold francs, the equivalent of 329 million euros.
On January 5, 1875, some 2,000 people were invited to the inauguration. Frou-Frou, society columnist of Figaro writes this: “Everyone had this supreme ambition: to be able to say ‘I was there!’”. He says that never in the history of the firsts have we argued the coupons with more determination: “There is all of Paris and all of Versailles there. The big world, the Faubourg Saint-Germain is all there.” Perfidious, he also explains that during the performance, “we spent our time leering at each other, greeting each other, and talking in low voices.” Thousands of gas lamps light up the building. They will be replaced by electric bulbs from 1881.
In the eyes of the authorities of the Third Republic, established in September 1870, Charles Garnier symbolized the previous regime. We “forgot” to invite him and then we want to make him pay for his box, which is not very well placed, at the price of 120 francs. Outraged, the architect almost turned away, but, recognized by the crowd, he was finally acclaimed. Marshal Mac Mahon, President of the Republic, took advantage of this event to welcome a cohort of prestigious guests including the royal family of Spain, the Lord Mayor of London and the Mayor of Amsterdam. The evening will go down in history. This is notably the first time that the ladies leave their dressing room during intermission to admire the paintings of Paul Baudry. Garnier revolutionizes theatrical customs!
It is said, century after century, that upon discovering the palace, Empress Eugénie exclaimed: “What is this style? It’s not a style! It’s neither Greek nor Louis XVI, not even Louis XV.” To which the architect would have replied: “No, these styles have had their day. It’s Napoleon III style and you’re complaining about it!” He has
mobilized the best craftsmen, controlling every detail, to create this sumptuous theater where marble competes with gilding and mosaics.
Even today, the public marvels at the foot of its grand staircase, lit on both sides by sculptures of women holding bouquets of lights. Its steps lead to the foyers and the different floors of the performance hall. For the large foyer, 154 meters long, Garnier was inspired by the galleries of the largest castles. The play of mirrors and windows further accentuates its vast dimensions.
The auditorium, all in red and gold, is lit by an immense crystal chandelier weighing 8 and a half tons. One of its counterweights had the misfortune to come loose in May 1896. Several people were injured, but only one died. True or false, she would have been seated in seat number 13.
The initial ceiling, painted by Jules-Eugène Lenepveu, was covered in 1964 by a monumental fresco of 220 m2 signed Marc Chagall. A desire from André Malraux, Minister of Culture, to warm up this room with light colors which he found a little sad. Very colorful, the new ceiling pays homage to the greatest composers. His installation provoked a quarrel between the Ancients and the Moderns which still lasts, with the most exalted wanting to take down Chagall altogether.
Covering more than 11,000 m2 of surface area, Garnier is a labyrinth. There are 17 kilometers of corridors, from the attic to the basement where legend has it that there is a lake. If water is indeed found in the foundations of the Paris Opera, it is not a lake, but an immense cistern. This casing, located around ten meters below the stage, makes it possible to contain a water table. Charles Garnier used it as a counterweight to stabilize the entire building. It regularly welcomes fire brigade divers who come to train in closed environments.
Another living legend: that of the Phantom of the Opera. In 1873, a pianist, organist and composer lost his wife during the fire at the music conservatory on rue Le Peletier. It is said that this man, disfigured by the fire, took refuge in the Palais Garnier, which was still under construction. The writer Gaston Leroux was inspired by this story and published his famous novel in 1910: The Phantom of the Opera. Some spectators are still looking for him and asking for his box which bears number 5.
Fifteen meters below the stage is still the capstan room, large notched rollers. These cogs, operated by ancient sailors, were once used to raise and lower the painted canvases of the sets. Preserved as is, they are sometimes shown to the public during Heritage Days.
Another impressive room, upstairs this time, the costume center. Classified as a historic monument, this room covered in woodwork brings together, before each show, the treasures created in the opera’s sewing workshops. These historic places have been carefully preserved, but, at the same time, the building has continued to modify to adapt to developments in artistic activity.
The renovation of the main facade, started in 2022 with the installation of huge scaffolding, will continue beyond 2025. The large advertising panels which hide this construction site displease many, but they make it possible to finance the work. Others are planned in particular to restore the roofs, the artists’ entrance and the performance hall. The most important project will begin in the summer of 2027 with the renovation and modernization of the entire stage cage. As a result, the room will remain closed for two years.
The shows will be offered at the Opéra Bastille, the second hall of the Paris Opera inaugurated in 1989, and outside the walls. Garnier will continue to welcome visitors and events, but only in its public spaces. The shortfall promises to be significant given that nearly 350,000 spectators from all over the world flock to the Palais Garnier each year.
To celebrate these 150 years, a series of events will be organized throughout 2025. Starting on January 24 with a grand gala, bringing together all the opera artists and several prestigious guests around a program inspired by the famous inaugural evening of 1875. This gala will be broadcast on France 5, slightly delayed, after the broadcast of the documentary by Priscilla Pizzato, An extraordinary day: 24 hours to the Opéra Garnier, a behind-the-scenes look at the building.
In September, an exhibition of costumes created by the Palais Garnier workshops will be presented in public spaces. Finally, a specific tour route has been designed (from the rotunda of subscribers via the Pythia basin, the grand staircase, the performance hall and the foyers) for visitors who would like to discover the long and beautiful history of this theater. Dear Palais Garnier, we wish you a very happy birthday!
