9 . T H E
P A L A I S
G A R N I E R
8 RUE SCRIBE
Created by architect Charles Garnier in 1875 , the
Grand Opera has a prestigious hall and public areas
( grand foyer , rhombo de obones , salons ), a library
museum , as well as several rehearsal studios and
master classes .
The " Italian Style " room with the ceiling , written in
1964 by Mark Chagall , accommodates 2054
spectators . Every year , the opera hosts about
480 , 000 visitors - this is one of the most visited
monuments of Paris . The Grand Opera was included
in the list of historical monuments since 1923 .
Beyond the Rotunda de Abonnes , the Bassin de la
Pythia leads to the Grand Escali with its
magnificent thirty - meter vault . Constructed from
the marble of various colours , it is a place for the
arrangement of a double staircase leading to the
foyer and to different floors of the theatre . At the
bottom of the stairs , you can see a real theatre in
the theatre : two female allegories , holding torches ,
greet the audience .
In the traditional Italian theatre there is a
horseshoe - shaped " French " auditorium , in which the
seats were organized according to their category of
tickets . The metal structure of the hall , hidden
behind marble , plaster , velvet and gilding , supports
the weight of an 8 - ton bronze and crystal
chandelier with its 340 lamps . The curtain was
created by theatrical artists Auguste Roubaix ( 1817 -
1899 ) and Philippe Chaperone ( 1823 - 1906 ), following
the instructions of Charles Garnier . The curtain was
replaced by the same one both in 1951 and in 1996 .
The ceiling , painted by Marc Chagall and
commissioned by the Minister of Culture Andre
Malraux , was opened on September 23 , 1964 .
At the end of the long gallery is the Rotunde du
Glacier , a fresh and bright rotunda with a ceiling
painted by Clairin ( 1843 - 1919 ). There are also
tapestries illustrating various treats , as well as
fishing and hunting .