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HISTORY TRAIL<br />
4<br />
3<br />
2<br />
5<br />
1<br />
THINGS TO SEE<br />
1 Théâtre du<br />
Capitole, Toulouse<br />
The Théâtre du Capitole,<br />
which has its origins in the<br />
18th century, stands proudly<br />
in the main square of the ville<br />
rose, and houses an opera<br />
company, ballet troupe and<br />
symphony orchestra. Enjoy<br />
a glass of something cool on<br />
the terrace before sitting back<br />
in a plush seat to drink in the<br />
exquisite music and the<br />
spectacular staging.<br />
Place du Capitole<br />
31000 Toulouse<br />
Tel: (Fr) 5 61 22 31 31<br />
theatreducapitole.fr<br />
2 Palais Garnier,<br />
Paris<br />
With its marble staircases,<br />
intricate mosaics and belleépoque<br />
salons, performance<br />
spaces don’t get much more<br />
spectacular than this. The<br />
horseshoe-shaped auditorium<br />
– opened in 1875 – was<br />
designed as a place to see and<br />
be seen, and has a ceiling<br />
painted by Marc Chagall,<br />
which was inaugurated in<br />
1964. Self-guided audio visits<br />
are available.<br />
Place de l’Opéra, 75009 Paris<br />
Tel: (Fr) 1 71 25 24 23<br />
operadeparis.fr<br />
3 La Cité de la<br />
Musique and<br />
Philharmonie de Paris<br />
The Cité de la Musique in Parc<br />
de la Villette is home to<br />
La Philharmonie, a shining<br />
sculpture of a building<br />
designed by architect<br />
Jean Nouvel to provide<br />
a groundbreaking concert<br />
space. The complex also<br />
contains the Musée de la<br />
Musique, which houses<br />
almost 1,000 instruments and<br />
artefacts including a piano<br />
owned by Chopin.<br />
221 Avenue Jean-Jaurès<br />
75019 Paris<br />
Tel: (Fr) 1 44 84 44 84<br />
philharmoniedeparis.fr<br />
4 Opéra Royal de<br />
Versailles<br />
The Opéra Royal was<br />
inaugurated in 1770 to<br />
coincide with the marriage of<br />
the future king Louis XVI to<br />
Marie-Antoinette of Austria. It<br />
was suitably ornate and soon<br />
recognised as one of the most<br />
beautiful theatres in Europe.<br />
The <strong>2017</strong>/18 season includes<br />
Bizet’s Carmen, Charpentier’s<br />
The Descent of Orpheus to the<br />
Underworld, and Lully’s<br />
Phaeton. Concerts are also<br />
held in other parts of the<br />
château and the grounds.<br />
Château de Versailles, Place<br />
d’Armes, 78000 Versailles<br />
Tel: (Fr) 1 30 83 78 89<br />
chateauversailles-spectacles.<br />
fr/en/royal-opera<br />
5 Opéra de Lille<br />
The original Opéra de Lille<br />
was built in 1788 but<br />
destroyed by fire in 1903.<br />
Louis-Marie Cordonnier won<br />
the competition to build<br />
a replacement, choosing<br />
a neoclassical style. Work<br />
finished in 1914, but the<br />
invading Germans took over<br />
the theatre for the duration of<br />
World War I. Today, the venue<br />
stages opera, dance and<br />
orchestral music, as well as<br />
family-centred ‘Happy Days’.<br />
2 Rue des Bons Enfants,<br />
59000 Lille<br />
Tel: (Fr) 3 28 38 40 50<br />
opera-lille.fr<br />
www.completefrance.com FRANCE MAGAZINE 43
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