Lope de Vega Theatre, Valladolid facts for kids
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 Lope de Vega Theatre
Location in Spain
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| Address | Valladolid Spain |
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| Coordinates | 41°39′00″N 4°43′51″W / 41.65009°N 4.73082°W |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1861 |
| Architect | Jerónimo de la Gándara |
The Lope de Vega Theatre (Teatro Lope de Vega) is a famous theatre in Valladolid, Spain. It's located on María de Molina street. This historic building first opened its doors in 1861. It was designed by a talented architect named Jerónimo de la Gándara.
A Look Back in Time
The place where the Lope de Vega Theatre stands today has a long history. In the 1600s, it was an open-air courtyard. This courtyard had a stage for plays and special covered areas for people to watch.
Later, in the 1700s, a roof was added to this courtyard. It became known as the Plaza de la Comedia. This building was used for many years. By 1856, it was quite old and falling apart. People decided it was time to build a brand new theatre in its place.
Building the New Theatre
The new theatre, the Lope de Vega, was officially opened on December 8, 1861. The architect, Jerónimo de la Gándara, designed it in a classic style.
The front of the theatre, called the facade, was updated in 1920. It has two levels, each with three archways. At the very top, there's a triangular section called a pediment. Inside this pediment, you can see a special medallion. It has a sculpture of Lope de Vega, a famous Spanish writer, made by Ponciano Ponzano. More recently, a modern canopy made of iron and glass was added to the front.
Changes Over the Years
In 1960, the theatre was renovated. It reopened its doors as both a cinema and a theatre. This meant people could watch movies and live shows there. However, it eventually closed down on April 30, 2000.
For a few years, the theatre remained closed. Then, in April 2006, a bank called Caja Duero bought the building. It was in need of many repairs. In March 2007, experts thought it would cost a lot of money to fix it up.
Because of the high costs, it took some time to start the repair work. In August 2008, the bank's president shared that someone wanted to buy the theatre. They wanted to turn it into a gaming room. However, the mayor of Valladolid, Francisco Javier León de la Riva, had other plans. He was hopeful that the theatre would be fully restored. This big restoration project had strong support from the public and was sponsored by the bank.
See also
In Spanish: Teatro Lope de Vega (Valladolid) para niños
