Teatre des Born, Historical theater in Ciutadella de Menorca, Spain
Teatre des Born is a theatre building on Plaça des Born in Ciutadella de Menorca, built between 1873 and 1875 to a design by Ramon Cavaller Gelabert inspired by Barcelona's Teatre Romea. Its neoclassical facade, whose original appearance was restored in the 2011–2020 renovation, carries a clock that worked until 1931. Inside, a very open horseshoe plan has two rows of boxes, one at ground level and one on the first floor, and seating for 454 spectators.
Built between 1873 and 1875 on the Plaça des Born, the theatre opened on 10 November 1875 with a performance of Victor Ducange's "Treinta años o La vida de un jugador" and Frederic Soler's "L'hereuhet". It was designed by Ramon Cavaller Gelabert, inspired by Barcelona theatres such as the Teatre Romea, on the site of a former cavalry barracks. The Cercle Artístic de Ciutadella acquired it in 1881.
The Cercle Artístic de Ciutadella, founded on 16 April 1881, ran the theatre from the start, first as tenant and later as owner. Since 1993 the Born Theatre Prize ceremony has brought recognised actors and companies to the stage. Local groups such as Nura, performing works by Joan Mas, have long appeared here.
The theatre stands on Plaça des Born, a short walk from Ciutadella's old town. It closed in 2006 for serious safety problems and reopened on 23 October 2020 after a full renovation, so check the current programme and access arrangements before travelling.
The 23 private boxes were sold to individuals to cover the 9,000-peseta construction cost, and the town had to negotiate with their owners before the 2011 renovation; three were expropriated. The clock on the neoclassical facade worked until 1931 and was reinstalled in the 2020 restoration.
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