Michel Portal Theatre

On your right, as you continue along the Nive River, you’ll find the Place de la Liberté, the Liberty Square, and the striking Michel Portal Theatre. It serves both as a theater and as the town hall. It was built between 1837 and 1842 by Nicolas Vionnois, to replace the 18th-century theater that once stood here. Even back then, it housed the theater, the town hall and the customs office. On the night of December 31, 1889, a fire ravaged the town hall wing and part of the theater’s roof. It took 2 years for the town hall to repair the damage, but only a few weeks for the theater, which still saw a slight drop in attendance following the tragedy. The theater has been restored and renovated several times over the years. Its Italian-style auditorium was fully restored in 2006 and can now seat nearly 600 people. The building, designed as a perfect square, is topped by six statues evoking the city’s main activities. From left to right, you have: Navigation, Manufacturing, Art, Commerce, Astronomy and Agriculture. It’s Bayonne’s very own cultural hub, hosting a number of events all year round, including theater, music, dance, circus and comedy shows. There’s truly something for everyone! You can spot it from afar, and it remains one of the city’s most beautiful buildings!