Théâtre de Saint-Brieuc
MonumentHidden Treasure
Théâtre de Saint-Brieuc, located in Saint-Brieuc (Département 22), is a historic monument. The monument is currently closed to visitors.
Key facts
- Type
- autre
- Location
- Saint-Brieuc, Département 22, Bretagne
- Visit
- Closed to visitors
- GPS
- 48.5138, -2.7611
- Mérimée Reference
- PA22000002
A neoclassical gem in the heart of Brittany, the Saint-Brieuc Theatre features an Italian-style auditorium adorned with an allegorical celestial ceiling and a foyer with gilded coffered ceilings evoking the great names of the French theatre world.
History
In the heart of Saint-Brieuc, the capital of the Côtes-d'Armor department, the municipal theatre stands out as one of the finest examples of 19th-century entertainment architecture in Brittany. Built between 1879 and 1884 by the municipal architect Alexandre Angier, it embodies the cultural ambitions of a provincial town determined to rival the great theatres of France. Listed in the Inventaire supplémentaire des Monuments Historiques (Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments) since 1996, it perpetuates a theatrical tradition in Brioche that goes back more than two centuries. What really sets this monument apart is the quality and consistency of its interior décor. The elliptical Italian-style auditorium offers warm acoustics for some three hundred spectators. The eye is irresistibly drawn to the ceiling, where four allegorical figures - Music, Dance, Comedy and Tragedy - seem to watch over the performances from a painted sky, seated on a flowery balustrade. This coherent iconographic programme, by the painters Carpezat and Lavastre, bears witness to the care taken to educate the provincial public in aesthetics. The foyer is also an experience in itself. Its soberly elegant coffered ceiling is engraved in gold letters with the names of the giants of the repertory: Gounod, Corneille, Molière... A discreet but eloquent reminder that each evening is part of an illustrious tradition. Here, visitors can feel the hushed, slightly solemn atmosphere of old-style theatres, where you came as much to be seen as to see. The sober, well-balanced neo-classical façade blends harmoniously with the urban fabric of Brioche. The central forecourt, punctuated by generously-sized doors and windows, is an invitation to explore. The composition in three registers - ground floor, upper floor and attic - gives the building institutional dignity without excessive rigidity. The theatre in Saint-Brieuc remains above all a living place, with a contemporary programme that keeps the flame of Breton culture open to the world.
Architecture
The Saint-Brieuc theatre is part of the neo-classical tradition that dominated French public architecture in the last quarter of the 19th century. The compositionally balanced main facade is divided into three superimposed levels: a ground floor with a basement, a first floor pierced by generous windows, and an attic that discreetly crowns the whole. The central, slightly projecting front section concentrates the communication elements - access doors to the vestibule and bay windows to the foyer - creating a ternary rhythm characteristic of the academic vocabulary of the period. The local materials, carefully dressed ashlar, give the building a mineral solidity in harmony with the surrounding Breton buildings. The interior reveals Angier's mastery of the organisation of circulation and the hierarchy of spaces. The vestibule, the point of transition between the street and the world of entertainment, leads to the foyer, whose coffered ceiling - sober and elegant - bears the names of Gounod, Corneille, Molière and other glories of the repertoire. The auditorium itself adopts the elliptical plan characteristic of provincial Italian theatres, favouring acoustic intimacy and visibility for the three hundred or so spectators. The balconies and boxes, arranged in a horseshoe shape, create the architecture of social representation typical of nineteenth-century bourgeois theatres. The decorative highlight is undoubtedly the ceiling of the auditorium, painted by Carpezat and Lavastre. At the centre of a trompe-l'œil composition depicting an open sky, four allegorical female figures - Music, Dance, Comedy and Tragedy - are seated on a balustrade adorned with flowers and vases. The luminous palette, the skilful drapery and the mastery of perspectival foreshortening bear witness to a level of execution comparable to the best Parisian ceilings of the period, making this theatre an exceptional pictorial setting on the scale of Brittany.
Related Figures
Guillot — architecte parisien auteur du premier théâtre (1809-1811)Alexandre Angier — architecte de la ville, concepteur du théâtre actuel (1879-1884)Carpezat — peintre décorateur, auteur des décors intérieursLavastre — peintre spécialiste des plafonds, coauteur du décor de la salleCharles Gounod — compositeur dont le nom figure au plafond du foyerPierre Corneille — dramaturge honoré dans le panthéon du foyer briochinMolière — auteur comique célébré parmi les illustres du plafond à caissons
Tags
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Théâtre de Saint-Brieuc located?
Théâtre de Saint-Brieuc is located in Saint-Brieuc, Département 22 department, Bretagne region, France.
Is Théâtre de Saint-Brieuc open to visitors?
Théâtre de Saint-Brieuc is currently closed to visitors.