Teatro da Avenida

About

Teatro da Avenida, better known as Teatro Avenida, was a theatre located at 150 to 156 Avenida da Liberdade in the city of Lisbon, Portugal, which operated from 1888 to 13 December 1967, when it was completely destroyed by fire. Following the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, the city was rebuilt under the instructions of Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, 1st Marquis of Pombal. The reconstruction included the development of a park, oriented south-east to north-west, known as the Passeio Público.

The park's borders rapidly became a popular location for the elite to build their homes and, over time, it was considered necessary for a road to be built through the park. The Avenida da Liberdade was completed in 1886. The Teatro Avenida opened on 11 February 1888 and until 1906 was the only entertainment facility on the Avenida da Liberdade.

It had a very simple appearance, with little architectural distinction. On the ground floor of the façade were four wooden doors, while on the first floor there was an iron balcony across the width of the façade. The initial reception of the interior by Lisbon's newspapers was very positive although, over the years, it became criticised for being small, cramped...