La Monnaie / De Munt
Belgium's federal opera house on the Place de la Monnaie, with its own orchestra, chorus and workshops.
La Monnaie, known in Dutch as De Munt, is the national opera house of Belgium and takes its name from the mint that once stood on the site. A theatre has operated here since 1700; the present neoclassical building with its Corinthian portico was designed by the French architect Louis Damesme and opened in 1819. After a fire in 1855 the auditorium was rebuilt by Joseph Poelaert, and later campaigns added the Art Deco foyers and raised the stage tower.
The house is run as a federal institution with its own orchestra, chorus and youth chorus, and it maintains large scenery and costume workshops on the Rue Léopold. Its place in Belgian history is secured by the performance of Auber's La Muette de Portici in August 1830, after which the audience spilled into the streets and helped touch off the Belgian revolution. The season mixes staged opera with concerts, recitals and dance, and guided tours take in the auditorium, museum space and workshops.
Highlights
- Neoclassical portico of 1819 facing the Place de la Monnaie
- Horseshoe auditorium rebuilt by Joseph Poelaert after the 1855 fire
- Resident symphony orchestra, chorus and children's chorus
- Saturday tours of the auditorium, museum space and set workshops
