Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb
Neo-Baroque 1895 theatre on Republic of Croatia Square, home to opera, drama and ballet ensembles.
The Croatian National Theatre occupies a yellow Neo-Baroque building on Republic of Croatia Square, opened in October 1895 by Emperor Franz Joseph I. It was designed by the Viennese partnership of Ferdinand Fellner and Hermann Helmer, who built dozens of theatres across central Europe, and it forms the western anchor of Lenuci's Green Horseshoe of squares and parks. In front of the main entrance stands Ivan Meštrović's fountain The Well of Life, placed there in 1912.
The company itself is older than the building, tracing continuous professional activity in Zagreb back to the middle of the nineteenth century, and it now maintains three permanent ensembles for opera, drama and ballet. A typical season brings more than a dozen premieres and several hundred performances on the main stage, in the foyer and at the smaller CNT2 venue in Ulica Božidara Adžije. Guided tours of the auditorium, stage and backstage areas are offered on selected Saturdays.
Highlights
- Fellner and Helmer's Neo-Baroque auditorium and painted ceiling
- Ivan Meštrović's The Well of Life fountain outside the entrance
- Three resident ensembles: opera, drama and ballet
- Saturday backstage tours under the title 166 Seasons Behind the Curtains
