Théâtre du Palais-Royal /

The Théâtre du Palais-Royal is a 750 seat theatre at 38, rue Montpensier in Paris. In 1637 Cardinal Richelieu began work on a theatre on the east wing of the Palais-Royal building, to break the theatre monopoly of the Hôtel de Bourgogne, and it was opened in 1641. The troupe of Molière and the troop of the Italians put on the shows here between 1662 and 1673. On the death of his old collaborator, Lully re-used the building for use as the Académie royale de Musique, ejecting Molière's troupe to a new home at the Hôtel de Guénégaud. Lully had much building work done on it in order to allow the installation of new stage machinery designed by Carlo Vigarani, capable of supporting the imposing sets of the operas he would later put on here. This replaced the old machinery designed by Giacomo Torelli in 1645. The distinctive exterior iron fire escapes of the current building date to an 1880 renovation designed by architect Paul Sédille.