Built on the orders of Napoleon III, the lavish velevet and gold leaf decked halls of the Opera Garnier (also known as Palais Garnier or simply Opera de Paris) have hosted the National Opera of Paris since 1875. Neo-Baroque in style, the Opera takes its name from architect Charles Garnier, whose design won first place in an competition launched as part of Paris's great self-makeover project of the Second Empire. Construction took a long 15 years due to interruptions by war, the fall of the Empire and the uprising of the Commune. The subsequent discovery of an underground lake (famously featured in 'Phantom of the Opera') also put the project on hold until sufficient water had been pumped out to allow the process to continue. Among the Opera's most noted features are the 8 tonne chandelier suspended from Marc Chagal's painted ceiling in the auditorium, and the multicoloured marble 'grand staircase' of the central foyer.
Transport to Opera Garnier
