La Monnaie
The Royal Theatre of La Monnaie (French: Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie, pronounced [te.atʁ ʁwa.jal də la mɔ.nɛ]; Dutch: Koninklijke Muntschouwburg; both translating as the "Royal Theatre of the Mint") is an opera house in central Brussels, Belgium. The National Opera of Belgium, a federal institution, takes the name of this theatre in which it is housed—La Monnaie in French or De Munt in Dutch—referring both to the building as well as the opera company. As Belgium's leading opera house, it is one of the few cultural institutions to receive financial support from the Federal Government of Belgium. Other opera houses in Belgium, such as the Vlaamse Opera and the Opéra Royal de Wallonie, are funded by regional governments.
The Royal Theatre of La Monnaie seen from the Place de la Monnaie/Muntplein | |
| Former names | Théâtre de la Monnoye (1700–1819) |
|---|---|
| Address | Place de la Monnaie / Muntplein 1000 City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region Belgium |
| Coordinates | 50°50′59″N 4°21′14″E |
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| Owner | Régie des Bâtiments |
| Operator | Peter de Caluwe |
| Type | Opera house |
| Genre(s) | Opera, concert, recital, dance |
| Seating type | Armchairs |
| Capacity | 1,152 |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1695–1700 |
| Opened | 17 October 1700 |
| Renovated | 1856, 1985, 2017 |
| Architect | Louis Damesme (1819) and Joseph Poelaert (1856) |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
La Monnaie is located on the Place de la Monnaie/Muntplein, not far from the Rue Neuve/Nieuwstraat and the Place de Brouckère/De Brouckèreplein. The current edifice is the third theatre on the site. The facade dates from 1818 with major alterations made in 1856 and 1986. The foyer and auditorium date from 1856, but almost every other element of the present building was extensively renovated in the 1980s. It is served by the metro and premetro (underground tram) station De Brouckère on lines 1, 3, 4 and 5.