Teatro Larrañaga
Salto's 1882 municipal theatre, a national monument known for its horseshoe hall and acoustics.
The theatre was financed by shares sold to the people of Salto and opened on 6 October 1882 with the company of Oreste Cartocci. Plans were drawn by Roberto Alfredo Wilkinson, an English engineer who had worked for the North-Western Railway, and the work was carried out by the builder Antonio Ruggieri. It is named after Dámaso Antonio Larrañaga. The horseshoe auditorium was built without columns and with an orchestra pit, so that sightlines are clear from every seat, and its acoustics are widely praised.
A remodelling by the architect José María Ambrosoni in 1947 altered the front, the foyer and the stalls, added an electric chandelier and restored the painted decoration of the ceiling. Further repairs followed in 1977, 1980, 2007 and 2008. The building was declared a national historical monument in 1988 and is run by the departmental government of Salto. It presents drama, concerts, dance and touring productions, including visits by the Ballet Nacional Sodre, and houses a small theatre museum.
Highlights
- Column-free horseshoe auditorium opened in 1882
- Painted ceiling and chandelier from the 1947 remodelling
- Declared a national historical monument in 1988
- Small museum on the theatre's history and its companies
