Alumni discover the secrets of the Opéra Garnier

10 July 2018 Community

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On Tuesday, June 26, members of the France Alumni network participated in an exceptional visit of the backstage of the Palais Garnier. The theatre, classified as historic monument, unveiled its most secret place, such as the "lake of the Opéra" or the enigmatic capstans room.

During a guided tour, about 30 alumni discovered the backstage of a legendary opera order to Charles Garnier by Napoleon III, but opened in 1875 under the 3rd Republic by president Mac Mahon.

The visit started with an ascension in the grand staircase mixing marble, gilt, sculptures and sceneries of mosaic. The group then explored the Grand Foyer, the Glacier Rotunda, and the Members' Rotunda, just as decorated. A stroll paced with patterns of a lyre, the element of decoration that reminds the goal of the place.

From the stalls, the alumni admired the ceiling of the auditorium, painted by Chagall in 1964 and placed before the original ceiling. After that it was time to enter the scene! The scene has a height under the ceiling of 75 m, ideal for deploying large settings. On one of the sides, the cosy Foyer de la Danse was the perfect spot for dance lovers during the Belle Epoque.

The visit ended with a descent in the guts of the building to access the machinery of the time, located 15 meters below the scene in the Room of Capstans. The machine made of wooden cogs is still used to make settings appear and disappear. Even lower is located the water tank, starting point of many legends about the Palais Garnier. Sadly, our France Alumni group left the premises without the slightest sign of the famous phantom of the opera.