In my efforts to bring about the best of Versailles, a lot more than the palace, I am looking at my large vault of photos to showcase its beauty. If new to my blog, I lived in Versailles for almost 10 years and visited afterward, it is a special spot on earth for me and my family. As the saying goes, no time to see all the beauty of my belle France. I will update this older post with new text and links and added a new found picture in my vault, The theater is part of the architecture and history of the City, and to boot it is in my old Notre Dame district! Therefore, here is my take on the Théâtre Montansier of Versailles !!! Hope you enjoy it as I.
The Montansier theater is located at 13 Rue des Reservoirs in Versailles ,department 78 of Yvelines, in the Ïle de France region of my belle France. It is an 18C Italian theater located in the heart of the Notre-Dame district!! and a short walk from the Palace of Versailles and the Royal Opera. The theater was inaugurated on November 18, 1777, in the presence of king Louis XVI and queen Marie-Antoinette. Madame de Pompadour, meanwhile, had built her own little corridor allowing her to reach her private mansion located to the right of the theater. After the birth of the Dauphin, Marie-Antoinette reduced her visits to the Montansier theater, to which she now prefers her little Trianon theater, a miniature replica of the Montansier.
This theater was born under the impetus of Marguerite Brunet, known as Mademoiselle Montansier, whose name it bored. She was ,also, founder of the Palais Royal and Variétés theatres in Paris. One of the first women entrepreneur in history. The soul of the theater has remained intact over the restorations. Marguerite Brunet, born in 1730 and died in 1820 at the age of 90, crossed some of the most agitated periods in the history of France. It is the Marquis de Saint Contest, madly in love with her, which allows her to obtain the direction of her first theater: a small room rue Satory in Versailles. Noticed by Queen Marie-Antoinette, she attributed to her in 1775 the privilege of the danses and shows of Versailles, then that of the Salles de Fontainebleau, Saint-Cloud, Compiègne, Rouen, Caen, Orleans, Nantes and Le Havre. The Montansier Theater before being at 13, rue des Réservoirs had an ancestor at 31, rue Saint-Honoré in the Saint-Louis district. It was in 1756 that two partners, Fleury and Le Comte, had a larger room built at 3, rue Royale. It is this 587-seat theater that Mademoiselle Montansier directs in 1768. She then obtains the office and the title of director of performances by the Court, that is to say the exclusive privilege of performing in any royal residence. She obtained the right to acquire the land known as Chien verts or green dogs which then belonged to the Count of Provence, brother of King Louis XVI and future king Louis XVIII. Once the land was purchased, she obtained a royal act, signed by Louis XVI, granting her exclusive operating rights to the new theater which she was about to direct. The facade is the same as today, which is missing from a group representing Thalie, muse of Comedy and Melpomene, muse of Tragedy. Both were seated around the lyre of Apollo.
The theater facade is the same as today. On the top of the facade only a group representing Thalie, a muse of comedy, and Melpomène, muse of the tragedy, sitting around the Lyre d’Apollo,are missing. Originally, the ceiling, represented a circular painting of Apollo on its chariot lighting tragedy, comedy and lyrical talents with around the garlands of flowers and fruit. A trompe d’œil representing the Neptune basin as a stage curtain. The first restoration took place in 1823 ; at that time, the room became red, fashionable color in the 19C. The ceiling is replaced by a “umbrella ceiling” divided into twelve slices, where we recognize the nine Muses and Apollo. The other important date is that of 1834. the city of Versailles bought it. Then, in 1841, a zinc canopy was installed to protect the entrance to the theater and a large sidewalk was created to encourage traffic. In 1851 a second repair took place. The theater remains red but the decor is entrusted to Charles Séchan, painter decorator known for having worked at the Paris Opera, the Comédie française, the National Assembly, and to whom we owe the ceiling of the Grand Salon of the castle of Vaux the Viscount. He produced the current ceiling, where he paints a trellis of flowers and a stage curtain ; since disappeared ; representing the wing of the Midi and the hundred steps. It is during this restoration that in particular the moldings on the front-storing lodges, the caryatids and the medallions, that we can still see today.
The third restoration dates from 1936, when the theater took the name of Montansier Theater. The theater resumed its original colors: blue and white enhanced with gold, the marquise was withdrawn and the facade swallowed. The zinc marquise was removed, the facade restored and the theater inaugurated in 1937 in the presence of the President of the French Republic Albert Lebrun. The last major restoration took place between 1992 and 1993 . During the latter, old decorations are discovered on the balconies. They will inspire those that we can see today representing patterns of lyres, putti musicians, griffins and chimeras. A replica of the original stage curtain, a rehearsal room is created under the attic, the hearth is restored and the sculptures of the top of the doors added. The latest works date from 2009. The plateau, the underside and its machinery are restored. The underside of the stage, condemned in 1992, are reopened. This time we rediscover the remains of the old original decorations and which inspire current decorations: motifs of lyre, putti musicians, griffins and chimeras. In March 2009, the restoration of the stage and the reopening of the under stage and its machinery ;closed since the restoration of 1992, . It is the occasion of a staging of the Merchant of Venice from Shakespeare by Jean-Daniel Laval interpreted by the Queen’s Company.
The Montansier theater welcomes spectators from all over Île-de-France region thanks to a qualitative policy combining creation and dissemination. Fully involved in the cultural life of the city of Versailles with interventions in the European Heritage Days, the Night of Creation, as well as in 2014, a path was developed in the theatre with sculptures and works made of fabrics and sometimes covered with earth, the Montansier Theater also takes part in the Molière Month festival, which takes place every year in June. Some nice films I like done here were : Stephen Frears’s Dangerous Liaisons, shot all the opera scenes in the Montansier theater. The film dates from 1988, before the restoration of the room. Also, The Young Girl and Death by Roman Polanski: the final scene of the film was filmed at the Montansier theater. The film dates from 1994, after the restoration of the room.
The official Théâtre Montansier : https://www.theatremontansier.com/
The Contemporary Theater Network of which the Théâtre Montansier belongs : https://www.theatre-contemporain.net/contacts/Theatre-Montansier-de-Versaille/detail-contact/
The Versailles tourist office on the Théâtre Montansier:https://www.versailles-tourisme.com/theatre-montansier.html
There you go folks, another wonderful spot in my dear Versailles for all to enjoy away from the palace ,not far, a grand location, Again, hope you enjoy this post on the Théâtre Montansier of Versailles as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 