Description: Across the leafy square from the Church of St. Augustine is a fantastically ornate and classically proportioned theater, designed by Pedro Germano Marquez in 1859, and completed in 1873. Shallow stone steps lead visitors up to the majestically colonnaded covered entrance. The oval auditorium has ground level and balcony seating, and although it is small in proportions this only adds to the intimate atmosphere. Sadly, only the occasional locally produced play or opera is held here now but the theatre is used for other events.
The Dom Pedro V Theatre was built in 1860. In 1873, the main façade of the building was renovated adopting a more neo-classical touch, including four sets of Ionic pilasters and a triangular pediment on the main façade. The arches of the main façade are 6 metres high and 3 metres wide. The theatre was left unused for almost twenty years because of termite problems but resumed operations after extensive restoration work carried out in 1993.
The floor plan of the theatre has a lobby area, a small ballroom, and a circular auditorium with a stage and long corridors on both sides. There is a flight of stairs leading from the side corridors to the first floor where ten pillars in the auditorium area support a crescent-shaped balcony. Unfortunately, the theatre is often locked so you need to attend a performance to appreciate the lovely interior.
Dom Pedro V Theatre was one of the first western-style theatres in China. The theatre is an important landmark in the region and remains a venue for important public events and celebrations today. In 2005, the theater became one of the designated sites of the Historic Centre of Macau enlisted on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The building is painted pale green, with matching dark green doors, windows and red roof tiles. The facade makes an appealing photograph of a building that would not be out of place in any European city.
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