Teatro Tomas Terry
Italianate 1890 theatre on the Parque Jose Marti, open for daytime visits as well as performances.
The theatre was built between 1887 and 1889 with money left by Tomas Terry Adan, a Venezuelan-born merchant who had made a fortune in Cienfuegos, and was opened by his children on 12 February 1890 with a performance of Verdi's Aida. The architect Lino Sanchez Marmol gave it a restrained neoclassical front on the north side of the Parque Jose Marti, crowned by three mosaic panels made in Italy. It was declared a national monument and stands within the historic centre of Cienfuegos, inscribed by UNESCO in 2005.
Inside, the horseshoe auditorium seats around 950 on three tiers, with ironwork columns, Carrara marble and seats and panelling of Cuban hardwood. The ceiling carries a fresco by Camilo Salaya showing allegorical figures, and the proscenium is framed by gilded plasterwork. Enrico Caruso, Sarah Bernhardt and Anna Pavlova are all said to have appeared here. The building remains in use for concerts, dance and theatre, and is open to visitors during the day.
Highlights
- Horseshoe auditorium of about 950 seats on three tiers
- Ceiling fresco by Camilo Salaya and gilded proscenium
- Italian mosaic panels across the neoclassical front
- Within the UNESCO-listed historic centre of Cienfuegos
