Main building of the National Theatre in Prague, opera house in Nové Město, Prague, Czech Republic
This is an opera house and cultural monument in Prague's Nové Město district featuring Renaissance Revival architecture and rich artistic decoration throughout. Inside, elaborate paintings, sculptures, and colorful frescoes cover the walls and ceiling, while the entrance is adorned with statues of Greek gods and the nine Muses.
The foundation stone was laid in 1868, and the building designed by Josef Zítek opened in 1881 with Smetana's Libuše. A fire in August 1881 destroyed the copper roof, stage and auditorium before the official opening; the theatre was rebuilt under Zítek's pupil Josef Schulz and reopened in November 1883. The National Theatre was closed again in 1977 and reopened in 1983 after a six-year restoration.
The building's facade carries the motto "Národ sobě" (The Nation to Itself), a reference to the public fundraising that paid for its construction. Above the loggia, allegorical figures represent Drama and Opera, and the interior decoration was entrusted to artists of the National Theatre generation, including Mikoláš Aleš and František Ženíšek.
The theatre sits along the Vltava River in central Prague and is easily accessible; it has two levels open to visitors. You can buy tickets at the box office, join guided tours through the building, or attend performances that happen regularly throughout the year.
After the devastating fire of 1883, the new chandelier was made from melted-down medals and decorations from the original building. This blend of old and new materials symbolically connects the building's past to its rebirth after the disaster.
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