Ópera de Monte Carlo

Known for its glamour, beautiful coastline and celebrities, Monte Carlo, in the Principality of Monaco, is a luxury resort, also famous for the Monaco Circuit, where the Formula 1 Grand Prix is held, and other events of great cultural renown. These highlights undoubtedly include the fabulous Monte Carlo Casino, home to the opera house of the same name. And the Monte Carlo Opera is precisely what we will enter.
Before entering, and arriving at the Place du Casino, we are struck by the beauty of the manicured gardens and the sumptuous building, a masterpiece by famous architect Charles Garnier. Built in 1863 facing the Mediterranean, and one of the most beautiful Belle Époque works, the complex (consisting of the Monte Carlo Casino, Opera House and Ballet office) was designed around a marble paved atrium, surrounded by 28 Ionic onyx columns. At the rear, the Salle Garnier, resplendent in red and gold, is the Monte Carlo Opera House, which is a smaller replica of the Paris Opera House. Run by the Société des Bains de Mer de Monaco, a public institution of the Monegasque government and the Grimaldi royal family, the building operates as a museum in the mornings.
Like its Parisian ‘cousin’, the Monte Carlo Opera House leaves any ordinary mortal breathless, such is its opulence and monumentality. It was opened in 1879 and, although it was not originally intended for opera, it often ended up being used for this purpose and thus was remodelled in 1898-99 by Henri Schmit, primarily in the stage area, to make it more technically appropriate.
Every season, the most beautiful lyrical, music, ballet, instrumental, and opera shows, as well as other artistic genres are staged. Many operas have premiered there over the years. Opera singer Cecilia Bartoli will soon succeed Jean-Louis Grinda as director of the Monte Carlo Opera House, but art will continue to be celebrated sublimely.