Teatro Degollado, Opera house in central plaza of Guadalajara, Mexico.
Teatro Degollado is an opera house in the historic center of Guadalajara, Mexico, distinguished by its neoclassical facade topped with sixteen Corinthian columns. Inside, the main auditorium holds just over a thousand seats arranged in horseshoe tiers, while a smaller chamber hall accommodates around one hundred twenty guests for recitals and readings.
Construction started in 1856 under architect Jacobo Gálvez, following a neoclassical design inspired by European theaters of the nineteenth century. The inaugural performance took place in 1866 with Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor sung by Mexican soprano Ángela Peralta, marking the building's entry into national cultural prominence.
The ceiling displays a large mural depicting the fourth canto of Dante's Divine Comedy, created by artists Jacobo Galvez, Gerardo Suarez, and Carlos Villaseñor.
Performances take place in the main hall most evenings, while guided tours run during the day and the facade is easily visible from the adjacent plaza. The smaller chamber space upstairs hosts chamber music and talks, drawing a quieter audience than opera nights.
A gilded wooden eagle hangs above the stage holding a chain in its talons, which local tradition claims must never be released. Many visitors glance up at this detail when entering the auditorium, drawn by stories linking the sculpture to the building's fate.
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