Paris Opera House
The history of the Opera House
The Start of the Opera House
The Opera House was started by Louis XIV. A competition was made for the design of the Opera House. In 1860, Charles Garnier entered the contest , which was called the Ministry of Fine Arts, and he won.
The Paris Opera House was intended to host festivities of the Emperor's entourage and is now held for plays.
Construction of the Paris Opera House started in 1861 and wasn't finished until 14 years later. The work was slowed down due to the discovery of a water table that had to be drained. The Franco-Prussian war and the Commune stopped the constructon for some time. The Opera House contains examples of 19th century stage architecture.
The Paris Opera House is 184 feet tall and can hold 1,979-seats. The Paris Opera House is popular for being the setting for The Phantom Of The Opera and being called a masterpiece of the first rank. The massive chandelier is said to have inspired Gaston Leroux to write The Phantom of the Opera due to one of the counterweights fell and killed one opera patron.