Théâtre des Célestins, Italian-style theatre in 2nd arrondissement, Lyon, France
The Théâtre des Célestins is a pale-stone theatre on Place des Célestins in Lyon's 2nd arrondissement, built by Gaspard André in 1877. Its facade has three round-arched doorways, a balcony, paired columns and three arched windows with red-brown shutters, under a mansard roof with a small lantern. A second auditorium, the Célestine, seats 130 in the basement.
The first theatre on the site opened on 9 April 1792 in the deconsecrated church of the Celestine convent, which had occupied the land from 1407 until its dissolution in 1779. That building was destroyed by fire in 1871; Gaspard André won the 1873 competition for a new Italian-style house, inaugurated on 1 August 1877, with its stage over the old church choir. Fire gutted the roof and stage on 25–26 May 1880, and André rebuilt them identically for a reopening on 18 October 1881.
The theatre draws audiences who enjoy both classical and contemporary works performed on its stages. It holds a place in Lyon's cultural life as a venue where different forms of theatre come together.
The theatre is located in Lyon's old town and can be reached easily by public transport or on foot. Visitors should be aware that the building includes stairs between levels and each performance space has its own character and layout.
During the May 1968 events, director Albert Husson agreed to hide part of the Egyptian antiquities collection of the University of Lyon's institute of Egyptology. Stagehands moved the crates at night and concealed them for a year in a sealed box of the theatre.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,240 contributors worldwide.
