Apollon Theatre, Neoclassical theatre in Georgiou I Square, Patras, Greece
Apollon Theatre is a neoclassical building on Georgiou I Square in the center of Patras, Greece. The two-story facade has five arched openings, and the roofline is decorated with ceramic figures that were made in Vienna.
The theatre was founded on 11 February 1871 and opened on 10 October 1872 with Verdi's Un ballo in maschera. Ernst Ziller drew the plans, which are kept in the Patras municipal library. About 100 residents funded the project, among them mayor Georgios Roufos and Gustav Clauss; the plot cost 11,000 drachmas.
The theatre's name refers to Apollo, god of the arts, but its cultural life today is tied to the Patras Carnival, when its halls host the bourboulia dances. Since 1988 it has been the main stage of the Patras Municipal and Regional Theatre, which stages performances there regularly.
The theatre sits directly on Georgiou I Square, which is easy to reach on foot from the center of Patras. It is worth checking in advance what performances are scheduled, as the hall has a limited number of seats.
The Apollon Theatre is one of only 4 surviving neoclassical theatre buildings in all of Greece. The other three are found in Tripoli, Syros, and Piraeus, forming a rare group that spans several different parts of the country.
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