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| Address | Largo da Trindade Lisbon Portugal |
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| Coordinates | 38°42′42″N09°08′33″W / 38.71167°N 9.14250°W |
| Owner | INATEL |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 30 November 1867 |
| Architect | Miguel Evaristo de Lima Pinto |
The Teatro da Trindade is a theatre in the Chiado neighbourhood of Lisbon, Portugal, built in the 19th century. It is one of the oldest theatres in Lisbon still in operation.
In 1866, Francisco Pereira Palha de Faria de Lacerda, a writer and playwright, decided to build his own theatre, forming a joint-stock company of friends and investors, including the Duke of Palmela. The location of the Trindade area of the Chiado was chosen because of historical associations, as there had briefly been a theatre in the area in the 18th century when the Italian businessman, Alessandro Paghetti, had created the Academia da Trindade as Lisbon’s first popular opera theatre. Three other theatres were already in the Chiado when the Teatro da Trindade was built, the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos , the D. Maria II National Theatre , and the Teatro do Ginásio . [1] [2]
Miguel Evaristo de Lima Pinto was chosen as the architect and the building he designed followed the Portuguese Pombaline style together with some influence of the Italian neoclassical style then in vogue. It was considered the most comfortable, elegant and technically advanced theatre in Lisbon of its time. There were originally two components, a theatre and a hall. The hall was demolished in 1921. The theatre has three facades. The main one faces the Largo da Trindade and is where the royal entrance was. It is decorated with medallions with the busts of the writers António Ferreira (1528-1569), Damião de Góis (1502–1574), and Francisco de Sá de Miranda (1481–1558), as well as a bust of Terpsichore the muse of dance. [1]
The hall (Salão do Trindade) was opened in February 1867 for the Carnival and, on 30 November, the Teatro da Trindade opened, featuring Delphina, Emília Adelaide and Emília Letroublon. Its auditorium has a horseshoe shape. The seating in the stalls, consisting of mahogany chairs, was removable and the floor could be raised to the level of the stage, thus creating a ballroom. An innovation much appreciated by audiences was that chairs had a hook on the back so that the men could hang their hats. Trompe-l'œil paintings on the ceiling, by José Procópio, show Portuguese theatrical personalities such as Gil Vicente, António José da Silva, Almeida Garrett, Luís de Camões, and Manuel Maria Barbosa du Bocage. [1] At the Trindade, Francisco Palha introduced what he called "burlesque opera", with Delphina and Amélia Barros being among the leading performers. [3]
After the death of Francisco Palha, in January 1890, the management of the Trindade passed through several hands before it was sold to António Serrão Franco, who contracted an artistic society that appointed António de Sousa Bastos as director in 1894. Under Sousa Bastos, the resident company included performers such as Mercedes Blasco and Palmira Bastos. In 1901, management was taken over by Afonso Taveira, who was responsible for guiding the Trindade through the period of instability that included the regicide, the First Portuguese Republic and the beginning of World War I, until his death in 1916. [1]
On January 22, 1921, the Teatro da Trindade was sold to the Anglo-Portuguese Telephone Company, which wanted to install its offices there. The Salão da Trindade was then totally demolished. A few months later an auction was held to sell all of the property of the theatre, including, furniture and props. The idea that the Teatro da Trindade would close caused indignation amongst the theatre-going public. Knowing that the telephone company did not need the theatre space, José Loureiro offered to buy the theatre, which was sold to him for ten thousand pounds sterling in 1923. Remodelling was then carried out. The size of the stage enabled the Trindade to put on variety performances that required a large cast. Theatrical groups to play there included the Amélia Rey Colaço-Robles Monteiro company, the Portuguese Opera Company (CPO), the Comedians of Lisbon (Os Comediantes de Lisboa) run by Francisco Carlos Lopes Ribeiro and his brother António and the Teatro Nacional Popular. From 1938 the Trindade was also used for short seasons of cinema. [1] [2]
In 1962 FNAT, the National Foundation for Happiness at Work (Fundação Nacional para Alegria no Trabalho), an organization promoted by Portugal’s authoritarian Estado Novo government, acquired the Teatro da Trindade. In 1967, remodelling work was carried out, under the direction of Maria José Salavisa, who chose the blue and gold interior decoration that remains today. In 1991, extensive renovation and restoration work was carried out on the entire building. New facilities were created for the administration and the stage, dressing rooms and service areas were refitted. The previous rehearsal room was converted into a studio room, which created a space for the presentation of experimental theatre. In 2009, the facades were restored, the roof was replaced and public areas were refitted. The theatre continues to be owned and operated by the successor organization to FNAT, known as the National Institute for the Use of Workers' Free Time (Instituto Nacional para o Aproveitamento dos Tempos Livres), or INATEL. [1] [2]
Palmira Bastos (1875–1967) was one of the best-known Portuguese stage actresses in the first half of the 20th century.
The Teatro São Luiz is a theatre located in the Chiado district of the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. It opened on 22 May 1894.
Delfina Perpétua do Espírito Santo, known on the stage simply as Delphina, was a Portuguese actress who specialised in comedy roles.
The Teatro da Rua dos Condes, or simply Condes, was a theatre in the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. It was opened in 1738 and rebuilt in 1755 after an earthquake. Never considered comfortable, it was demolished and rebuilt in 1888 and eventually converted to a cinema. After a further demolition and reconstruction as a purpose-built cinema, the building now houses a Hard Rock Café. For part of its life the Teatro da Rua dos Condes was one of Lisbon's major theatres, attracting the city's elite, including the royal family. However, with the construction of newer, more modern theatres it gradually moved from offering operas and legitimate theater to vaudeville and revues with more of a mass appeal.
Emília das Neves was a Portuguese actress. She is considered to have been the most notable Portuguese actress of her time and be the first great female star to emerge in Portugal.
The Teatro do Ginásio was a theatre in Lisbon, Portugal that mainly concentrated on performances of comedy shows.
Alice Schmidt Constant Lafourcade Rey Colaço was a Portuguese painter, modernist illustrator, lyric singer, set designer and costume designer.
Emília Adelaide was a Portuguese actress and theatre company manager in the 19th century.
Emília de Oliveira (1874–1968) was a Portuguese theatre and film actress.
Beatriz Rente was a Portuguese theatre actor.
Ana Cardoso was a 19th-century Portuguese actress.
Esther de Carvalho was a controversial Portuguese actress and opera singer who also became well-known in Brazil, where she died a young death.
Rosa Damasceno was a 19th-century Portuguese actress.
António de Sousa Bastos was a Portuguese writer, playwright, theatre entrepreneur and journalist. Author of the Diccionario do theatro portuguez, he was the husband of the actress Palmira Bastos.
Émile Doux (1798–1876), known in Portugal and Brazil as Emílio Doux, was a French theatre actor, director, playwright and impresario in Portugal and later in Brazil.
Amélia Augusta da Assunção Barros, better known as Amélia Barros was a Portuguese actress and lyrical singer, known for excelling in operettas in both Portugal and Brazil.
Ana Elisa Pereira was a Portuguese stage and film actress and singer, mainly known for her work in theatres in Lisbon.
Josefa de Oliveira, was a Portuguese theatre actress and lyrical singer.
Carmen Dolores Cohen Sarmento Veres (1924–2021) was a Portuguese stage, radio and television, and film actress and writer, with a career that lasted 60 years.
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