Madrid - Teatro Español

The Teatro Español, which dominates the Plaza de Santa Ana, is one of Madrid's oldest theaters. Originally known as the Corral del Príncipe, it opened its doors on September 21, 1583 with two comic pieces by Lope de Rueda, and thereafter innumerable comedies by the great dramatists of the Golden Age were performed there. In 1745 the theater was roofed over. The Romantic movement achieved triumphs here with the first performances of "Don Alvaro" (1835), by the Duque de Rivas, "El Trovador" (1836) by García Gutiérrez, "Los Amantes de Teruel" (1837) by Hartzenbusch and other new plays, and the cafe in the theater became the regular meeting-place of the Romantic group known as the Parnasillo, to which the city's intellectuals and artists belonged.

In 1849 the theater was given its present name, and for many years it was the Spanish National Theater. In 1975, after a serious fire, it was taken over by the municipal authorities, and it is now Madrid's only municipal theater and one of the best in the capital.