The place

OUTSIDE

After the fire that destroyed the Opera, reconstruction works commenced on the building in 1883, though these were considerably delayed by administrative difficulties, the positions of some newspapers and pressure from public opinion, to such an extent that two years passed between the ruling and its application. This construction involved various stakeholders and sparked a battle for the choice of neighbourhood, pitting the declining old town against the ever-expanding new town. After hesitating between three site projects, one at the Square des Phocéens (Place Albert 1er), the other at the terraces (in the old town), it was the third that was unanimously adopted: on the site of the old theatre that had burnt down, with the addition of properties belonging to Messrs Lacan, Boréa and Borrelli. A national architectural competition was launched, whose jury was chaired by Mr Borriglione (Mayor of Nice from January 1878 to May 1886).

The winner was François Aune, official architect of the city, born in Nice and educated in Turin. François Aune sought the advice of the illustrious Charles Garnier, then civil-buildings inspector. His final agreement was signed on 27 June 1884. By a decision of the Municipal Council of 10 August 1882, ratified by the Prefect on 8 September 1882, a vote was taken to allocate the necessary funds. They amounted to the sum of one million five hundred thousand francs, an initial budget which would be greatly exceeded.

In 1885, the last decorative works were completed and the new building was inaugurated on Saturday, 7 February 1885, with a revival of Aida. The same Italian season saw renditions of Faust, Ernani and Ruy Blas. The building occupies a total surface area of 1,800 square metres, with its main facade reigning over Rue St-François-de-Paule. It is formed by two protrusions with a very graceful decorative effect, each measuring 6.60 metres in width, and by a central body 18 metres long. The height of the protrusions, from the paving to the circular pediments, is 24 metres, not including their surmounted cartridges. The central body rises to a height of 19 metres. The exterior perfectly measures up to the great wealth of the exterior and can be examined all the more carefully as it is illuminated by a string of gas lights along the main facade, the rotunda and a portion of the building on the side of Rue de la Terrasse (today Rue Raoul Bosio). Above the canopy, the City's coat of arms sparkles; on all sides, elegant lanterns illuminate the building and the walkways of the upper floors. These open-air walkways were a very welcome innovation, frequented during the intermission by many spectators. People arriving by car entered through the large middle door, surmounted by a vast, elegant and finely worked iron canopy. The main staircase was accessed through the rotunda, also decorated with an iron canopy. Its entrance was reserved for the first three rows of boxes, seats, stalls and the parterre. This rotunda, like the entrance to the Rue St-François-de-Paule, was arranged with artistic grilles. On the Quai du Midi, the facade was simply magnificent. 

Above the main facade (Rue St-François-de-Paule) stand four statues, each two metres high and perched on the pillars of the upper terrace, by the sculptor Monetta, representing Tragedy (Molpomene), Comedy (Thalia), Music (Euterpe) and Dance (Terpsichore). At the top of the rotunda, two Renommées (winged women) can be seen, one celebrating the glory of France and the other that of Nice. Two small genies hold cartouches, one on which the letters RF are engraved and the other bearing the coat of arms of the City of Nice. On the pediment of the rotunda, the following inscription is engraved: Heic blandis animum ludis recrare juvent Et risu et lacrymis oblectans scena docibit (In this place, we will love to raise our spirits with charming plays. The stage will instruct by entertaining, as much by laughter as by tears). Further along, on Rue de la Terrace, stand three other statues: Inspiration, Execution, Mimicry. These three statues, as well as those overlooking the rotunda, were crafted by Mr Trabucco.

The building's ground floor, five metres high, is made of stone from the quarries of La Turbie, tightly grain and refractory, while the monolithic columns of the central body are made from red Verona stone. The bronze Corinthian capitals are the work of the "Thiebaut frères" company in Paris (see article in the Opera Journal No 30). All other ornaments featured on the facades were crafted from Montpaon stone. The decorative intersections of the two protrusions are surmounted by the busts of Rossini and Meyerbeer. The iron settings of the facade and the adjoining rotunda’s intercolumns encase granulated-crystal stained-glass windows, made by the glass enameller Fassy de Nice.

Since its inauguration, the building has undergone major modifications, particularly in the rotunda: the main entrance at the corner of Rue de la Terrasse was transferred to Rue Saint-François-de-Paule and the rotunda canopy disappeared, along with the two winged women and the two genies. The rotunda access steps were also removed, as well as the three doors, which would become windows. The three statues on Rue de la Terrasse are no longer present, while the two City coat of arms above the canopies have also been taken down. The two walkways still remain: one extending the Montserrat Caballé Foyer and the other serving the offices of the current administration.

Sources: Laure Baretge, L’évolution de la vie musicale à Nice de 1860 à 1914; Nice Riviera; Le petit Niçois; L’éclaireur du Littoral; Fabron Municipal Archives; Cessole Library; R. Rourret, Père Yves Marie Lequin Latin translation.  

INSIDE

PHOTO : © Dominique Jaussein

Opposite the Opera's entrance door stands the ceremonial staircase serving the main hall. This one, arranged in "horseshoe" format, is a so-called "Italian-style" theatre, in which the audience is staged just as much as the artists. Spectacular in size (19 metres wide and 23 metres long), the main hall occupies three quarters of the building's total volume. It can hold up to 1,000 spectators. The front of the stage is 13 metres wide, with a height of 14 metres and a depth of 19 metres.

The decoration is luxurious: composite capitals, boxes adorned with gold on a cream background and lined with red.

The fresco of the large ceiling was created by the Mentonian painter Emmanuel Costa, representing a vast mythological sky. These ceilings, opening towards the sky, were first developed by the Italians of the late Renaissance and the early Baroque period.

PHOTO : © Dominique Jaussein

Costa's work is symbolic. In a very academic style, it represents Apollo, god of arts and music, and Aphrodite, goddess of love. Both are associated with other characters and creatures of mythology, arranged in a sort of harmonious circle. This large painted ceiling is illuminated by a monumental crystal chandelier.