Teatre Principal

The Teatre Principal is the oldest theatre in Barcelona, founded in 1579, built between 1597 and 1603 and rebuilt several times, mainly in 1788 and again in 1848. The theatre was originally named the Teatro de la Santa Cruz in Spanish . It is located on the famous avenue of La Rambla.The theater was founded by a donation of land and houses on the Rambla de Barcelona, made by Joan Bosch in favor of the Hospital of the Holy Cross, then the most important hospital in the city, to build a theater in it. With the benefits of the plays and shows, the hospital could bear part of its expenses.For these benefits to be greater, the theater would have the exclusive right to host theatrical performances in the city. On the 27 of October of 1787 the theater underwent a fire that completely destroyed it. Rebuilt thanks to the donations of nobles like the Marquess of Ciutadilla and the Count of El Asalto, the new theater, more sumptuous, was inaugurated on November 4, 1788. After 3 more fires and the opening of the Liceu opera house in 1847 the Teatro Principal fell into decadence. A popular campaign prevented it from demolished in 1889. In January of 2006 it closed its doors as theater.It was the scene of the Spanish premieres on many plays and operas, and for the world premieres of Spanish works including operas by Ferran Sor, Vicenç Cuyàs or Ramon Carnicer.