Madrid's Teatro Real, designed by municipal architect Antonio López Aguado during the reign of Isabella I, was inaugurated in 1850, although the first stone was laid on 23 April, 1818. Located very near the Puerta del Sol, the building was one of the main theatres in Europe, but in 1925 a collapse caused the temporary closure of the theatre. It was reopened 41 years later, in 1966, as a concert hall and home to the Madrid Royal Conservatory and School of Dramatic Arts. Declared a National Monument in 1977, it was not until 1997, following nearly seven years of restoration work, that it was once again reopened as an opera house.
The building comprises different architectural styles, and the 1472 m2stage area is the crowning jewel of the theatre. This area allows complex set changes thanks to the 18 articulated platforms that permit multiple combinations of set, scenery and orchestra pit configuration. With a seating capacity of between 1748 and 1854, depending on the production, the theatre has 28 box seats on the different levels, as well as eight proscenium arches and the two-level royal box.
The only level designed exclusively for the public is "La Rotonda", which encircles the entire building. It includes four large halls decorated in different tones with elements from National Heritage and the Prado Museum. The chandeliers were created at the Royal Glass Factory of La Granja.
The theatre organizes guided toursin various languages. Visitors are taken both to the public areas and backstage, where details are given on how rehearsals take place, where the musicians rehearse before a show, and what takes place in the different rooms and departments of the Theatre.
