Nice Opera

The Opera that stands before you today has gone through several changes since it was first built. The story begins in 1776, when the King of Sardinia allowed the Marquioness Alli-Maccarani to transform her house into a little wooden theater. 50 years later, the city of Nice bought it back and destroyed it, to built a grand and beautiful italian opera designed by Turin architect. Benedetto Brunati . He had an epic fresco, retracing the exploits of the heroine Catherine Segurane during the siege of Nice, painted on the stage curtain. Quite remarkably, the daring architect also installed a vast glass bay window facing the sea, in an attempt to intergrate natural elements into the performances. This was possible as the entire back and roof of the theater were removable. However this didn’t catch on at all… The bourgeoisie came to the opera to see, but mainly to be seen, not to sit in the middle of the draughts. In the end, it was decided to wall up the back of the theatre. In the 19th century, Nice became the preferred wintering place for the European aristocracy,. The Opera saw some of the best perform on its stage. However in 1881, a tragic fire broke out in the middle of a show, causing many deaths. A pyramid is dedicated to the victims at the entrance of the town’s cemetary. The current Opera was built during an eclectic movement, hence the many architectural styles it bears. Today, it is listed as Cultural Property. It can welcome over 1,100 spectators. On the other side of the street, you can admire the imposing facade of the Dominican Church. Built on the second half of the 18th century, it was dedicated to Saint Francis of Paola, famous founder of the Order of Minims. As its name suggests, this order is as modest as possible, and follows rules of extreme austerity. What you may not know about Minims is that they were entirely vegan! Indeed, they adhered to the perpetual fasting rule by abstaining from consuming any products derived from the animals. Converted into a parish during the French Revolution this late baroque church of is now home to the dominican brothers. On that note, let’s head back towards the sea, to our next point of interest.