The Opéra Garnier is one of the jewels of French heritage. Designed by Charles Garnier, it welcomed over a million visitors last year. In its 350 years of existence, the Opéra National de Paris has hosted the world’s greatest ballets. From unusual anecdotes to astonishing superstitions, discover 5 things you need to know about this mecca of French culture.
There’s a lake in the fifth basement of the Opéra
This is certainly the most surprising anecdote. In the building’s fifth basement lies… a lac! Or rather, an artificial vat. The latter makes up for any seepage problems that might have undermined the building’s foundations. Unfortunately,the lake is closed to the public: only Paris firefighters are lucky enough to be able to enter it for training. It seems there are even carp… Fascinating!
L’Opéra Garnier is riddled with secret passages
The Opéra Garnier was originally traversed by two secret aisles. These passed through the basements, crossed the Grand Foyer and ended on the fourth floor. Today, only one is still used as a passageway for artists and employees. The second artery is used for rainwater drainage (and perhaps for the Opera’s ghost to circulate freely…).
It’s built around banks for a real reason
Since the late 19th century, banks have been built all around the Palais Garnier. And the reason is simple. Before each performance, the wealthiest spectators would fetch their most precious jewels and finery from their safes! A chance to show off your best side for the duration of the show. Of course, once the curtain came down, spectators were sure to stow their treasures in their safes …
Lodge number 13 doesn’t exist…
It’s well known that number 13 is bad luck. And for good reason, this number often recurs in Opera legends. A woman, placed in seat number 13,is said to have died as a result of the chandelier falling… A little Opéra rat is said to have fallen from a gallery and landed… on the famous seat number 13. So many reasons why ‘there simply isn’t a lodge 13..
There’s no dress code, strictly speaking, for getting there
Got a show lined up at the Opera? Know that you don’t have to come all dressed up to attend. In fact, there’s no dress code to speak of. So you can come dressed in civilian clothes as long as you’re at least elegant and respectful of the venue. Obviously, coming in flip-flops and beach shorts won’t go down well…. The only times when you need to adopt a specific style of dress are during gala evenings. Men should be in dark suits and women in dresses.