Lisbon - Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos

Must-see attractions nearby: Old Quarter Gulbenkian Museum Praça do Comércio St George's Castle Carmo Lift Igreja de Santa Engrácia / Panteao Igreja de Sao Vicente de Fora

It was, in fact, some wealthy citizens who commissioned and paid for the new building. Performances of predominantly Italian operas - with mainly Italian casts - gave the Lisbon opera a good name for some time in the 19th century. Musical guests to the Lisbon opera included Toscanini, Saint-Saëns, Liszt, Richard Strauss, Paganini, Rubinstein and Padarewsky.

The Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos is regarded as one of Portugal's earliest Classical buildings. The architect based his designs on the Milanese Scala and the Naples opera. The outer facade is simply and harmoniously proportioned. The entrance is covered by a three arched arcaded balcony surmounted by a veranda. The internal decoration is moderate and elegant. The ceiling painting in the entrance hall is the work of Volkmar Machado. The large concert hall has an elliptical ground plan, above which are five circles one above the other. Smaller scale chamber concerts take place in the Salao Nobre.