Principal Theatre (Pontevedra)

The site of the present Principal Theatre was occupied by the church of St Bartholomew the Elder until the mid-19th century. This late medieval building was in poor condition by the end of the 18th century. In 1769, demolition began, but it was finally demolished in 1844.[1] · [2]

After several years as an open square, in 1864 a Liceo Casino (work of Domingo Lareu) and the Principal Theatre (work of Faustino Flores) were built, inaugurated on 2 August 1878.[3] The theatre opened with the company of Miguel Cepillo, who performed El esclavo de su culpa by Juan Antonio Cavestany.[4] In April 1900, this building hosted the first cinema projection in Pontevedra,[5] and in December of the same year, the first phonograph audition. In the mid-20th century the theatre functioned almost exclusively as a cinema.

On 14 April 1980, a fire destroyed both buildings, although the walls and main walls remained standing. On 22 August 1983, the City Council acquired the ruins of the theatre and on 9 January 1984, an invitation to tender was issued for its reconstruction.[6]

The current building, inaugurated on 3 January 1987, is the work of the architect José Miyer Caridad, who won the preliminary design competition.[7]

The façade of the theatre is neoclassical. It has symmetrical windows and doors with granite frames, and those on the first floor have eaves.[8] The main entrance ends in a pediment with a hollow arch inside. In July 2015, the façade of the theatre was restored to the white stone walls with which the building was designed in the 19th century.[9]

The theatre is spread over five floors and two basements, in which it houses two exhibition rooms and an auditorium with a total capacity of 434 seats.[10] · [11] Its stage, which occupies 52 square metres, is equipped with a mobile platform.

The interior space has a false ceiling which helps to improve acoustics, as well as hiding the lighting installation. Its decorative style sought to combine the look of 19th century theatres with a more contemporary interior.[12]

• Ayuntamiento de Pontevedra, 1985. Pontevedra recupera su Teatro Principal. Ed. Ayuntamiento de Pontevedra
• Fontoira Surís, Rafael (2009): Pontevedra monumental. Diputación de Pontevedra. ISBN 8484573273.
• Nieto, Remigio (1980) : Guía monumental ilustrada de Pontevedra. Asociación de Comerciantes de la Calle Manuel Quiroga, Pontevedra. p. 28.