Royal Theatre Zetski Dom
Montenegro's oldest theatre, opened in 1896 in the royal capital and home to a permanent ensemble.
Zetski dom is the oldest theatre building in Montenegro. Its foundation stone was laid on 1 May 1884 to a design by the Dalmatian architect Josip Slade Šilović, who also built roads and bridges for Prince Nikola, and construction ran for twelve years at a cost of more than sixty thousand florins. The house opened on 26 October 1896. From the start it was conceived as more than an auditorium, holding the state archive, a museum, a reading room and a library under the same roof in the small capital.
A fire in 1916 and the earthquake of 1979 both caused heavy damage, and a reconstruction in 1931 removed the three arches that had framed the original entrance. Repairs after the earthquake were finished in 1992, and the theatre reopened on 19 December that year. It now works as a state institution under the name Royal Theatre Zetski dom, with a permanent acting ensemble formed in 2020. Alongside drama it presents opera and concerts, film screenings, publishing and programmes for children, and hosts the Montenegrin International Theatre Festival founded in 2015.
Highlights
- Oldest purpose-built theatre in Montenegro, opened October 1896
- Designed by Dalmatian architect Josip Slade Šilović
- Once housed the state archive, museum, library and reading room
- Hosts the Montenegrin International Theatre Festival
