The construction of the l’Opéra Garnier was completed in 1875. It is located at Place de Opéra here in Paris.
In 1896 part of the Grand Chandelier broke and gave way killing one person. It is because of this incident along with the underground canals that led to the writing of “Phantom of the Opera,” by Gaston Leroux in 1910.
The 2,200 seat opera house was designed by Charles Garnier.
I took so many photographs here because it is so grand and so large. The details are just amazing. I am including some with this post just to give you a peek and the idea of just how beautiful this opera house is really.
The chandelier is said to weigh over six tons.
In 1969 this ceiling was painted by the famous Marc Chagall, which surrounds the chandelier. There is currently a major exhibition of the work of Marc Chagall for the 25th anniversary of his death in 1985. It is at the Museo dell’Ara Pacis in Rome. The exhibition is to include over 140 works and is entitled “The Upside Down World of Marc Chagall.” We are going to Rome and plan on seeing it around the middle of March. The exhibit will be on until the 27th of March.
Even outside there is a beautiful balcony all done in marble which could be enjoyed during intermission. There are busts of the great composers too, like Beethoven and Mozart among many others.
It is quite lavish, with its alcoves, sculptures, cherubs, friezes and many columns. It was designed to allow the large crowds of people to move throughout.
Pictured here is the Grand Foyer. You can see the many chandeliers that line each side of the large room. The ceiling is utterly gorgeous and beautifully ornamented.
I hope you enjoyed the pictures that I took of the Opéra Garnier.
ELAINE'S MOVEABLE FEAST 
Hello, I’m french and I love this Opera. I go to see it with my pupils, and I was searching for good photos, your’s are beautiful. Your resume is really interesting too. Thanks
Julie,
How exciting that you bring your pupils to see and share the history and beautiful architecture of this amazing Opera house. You have such a vast array of wonderful sites to show and tell there. I wonder if I might ask where else you like to take your students.
Thank you so much for writing and for your very kind words. I am happy that you enjoyed the photos and appreciated that you took the time to write.
Elaine
Julie,
How exciting that you bring your pupils to see and share the history and beautiful architecture of this amazing Opera house. You have such a vast array of wonderful sites to show and tell there. I wonder if I might ask where else you like to take your students.
Thank you so much for writing and for your very kind words. I am happy that you enjoyed the photos and appreciated that you took the time to write.
Elaine
Elaine, I took the liberty of adding a link to this post to my “About” page. I love your description, and particularly the gorgeous images of the Palais Garnier. Here is a link to my About page.
http://elliottingotham.wordpress.com/about/
Thank you so much! Elliott
Dear Elliot,
I am only too happy that you have added a link to my post. It was thoughtful of you and appreciated by me, that you wrote to inform me, as well as including the link to your About page. Your About page, by the way, was terrific. It seems we have some other things in common aside from the appreciating the Opera Garnier. I, myself, am a avid fan of Downton Abbey, love traveling and also live in NY.
I have not had a chance to read your amazing site, but look forward to it tomorrow. We have just returned from an all day trip to Champagne.
Keep up the great posts,
Sincerely, Elaine
What a wonderful post, Elaine! I have used an image of the Palais Garnier’s Grand Salon as the header image for my WordPress site.
Best wishes to you! Elliott
Dear Elliot,
Thank you for your kind words regarding the Palais Garnier post. There is really only one true way to experience it and that is for oneself. I merely attempt to describe the grandeur through my own eyes for others to share. I love your photograph of the Grand Salon and the fact that you used it as your beautiful header image. Thank you for taking the time to write, I appreciate it. Sincerely, Elaine
Elaine, I’ve been there many times. The French are second to none in building impressive public spaces, aren’t they?!
They certainly are Elliot. Was it Haussmann who was responsible for this along with the design of the city of Paris as well I wonder. Elaine