Opera House Liège

The Royal Theatre in Liège opened on 4 November 1820 to designs by Auguste Dukers, on land formerly occupied by a Dominican convent. Its neoclassical façade incorporates a marble colonnade. A statue of André Grétry, erected in 1842, contains the composer's heart. During the First World War the theatre was requisitioned for use as a stable and dormitory; performances resumed in 1919. Since 1967 it has housed the Opéra Royal de Wallonie, formed by the union of the Liège and Verviers companies. Renovation between 2009 and 2012 restored the auditorium, historic foyer and staircases while adapting the building for continued theatrical use. The Théâtre royal on the place de l'Opéra was inaugurated on 4 November 1820, raised on the ground of a former Dominican convent to plans by Auguste Dukers; the city has owned it since 1854. A rebuilding in 1861 lengthened the house and took capacity past 1,500. Since 1967 it has been the seat of the Opéra royal de Wallonie, one of Belgium's three opera companies, and it carries opera, ballet and concerts for a public drawn from across the Euregio.