São Carlos Theater

Teatro Nacional de São Carlos

Teatro Nacional de São Carlos is Lisbon’s main opera house. It was founded in 1793 with money from wealthy Portuguese merchants who traded in Brazilian diamonds and tobacco. The construction of the new building took about 8 months, designed by architect José da Costa e Silva.

Highlights

The theater is located in Chiado, the historic center of Lisbon, which is also the oldest district of the city.

Various architectural details were borrowed from Italian theaters: the Teatro San Carlo in Naples and La Scala in Milan. The main facade of the theater was decorated with a beautiful decorative clock and the national emblem of Portugal. The entrance to the theater was a portico, with three arches.

A simple foundation supports the three arches of the front entrance, with four columns of Doric order above it, and the overall composition is rather plain and elegant. The interior of the theater was designed by the Italian masters Apiani and Mazzoneschi. The luxurious auditorium, with a capacity of 1,200 visitors, has five floors with balconies, and also includes a VIP seat, the richly decorated royal box.

The theater was named after the noble Princess Charlotte of Spain, who came to Portugal in 1790 to marry the future king, Prince Juan.

When the Portuguese Civil War broke out, the theater was closed and reopened in 1850. The theater underwent many works in the building itself. From 1935 to 1940, the Teatro São Carlos was also closed for restoration.

Throughout its history, the repertoire of the Teatro San Carlos has been dominated by Italian composers and influenced by the Italian opera school. The first opera staged at the theater in 1793 was Domenico Cimarosa’s The Ballerina in Love. The most famous production of the 20th century was Verdi’s La Traviata (1958), starring Maria Callas.

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In 1970, a permanent company was created, and in 1993, the Symphony Orchestra of Portugal was created at the theater.

Today, things are not going so well at the Teatro São Carlos (according to media reports, the institution’s budget has been severely cut), but the theater nevertheless produces worthy premieres every season. Today’s São Carlos Theater has a permanent cast and its own symphony orchestra.

Useful information

The closest bus stop to the São Carlos Theater in Lisbon is called Chiado, and route No. 28E runs here.

Address: Lisboa, Rua Serpa Pinto, 9.

Ticket office opening hours: daily: 13:00 – 19:00.