Blossac Theatre

Installed in the middle of the 19th century in a former church, the Châtellerault theater was then at the heart of the artistic and cultural life of the city. Created on the model of “Italian-style” theaters, it has a horseshoe room, richly decorated in 1899 and which has remained almost unchanged since. As for the stage cage, it today offers an almost unique example in France, with the Marie-Antoinette theater in Versailles, of Italian-equipped machinery: curbs and understage trolleys, wooden poles and drums , wires and linchpins, pulleys, decorations on frames, etc.

Closed since 1977, the theater underwent an impressive restoration between 2011 and 2013. With its period decor and machinery, it is today a heritage site as much as a place of artistic creation: the discreet integration of new equipment makes it possible to perform on stage again. The “Land of Art and History of the Châtelleraudais Urban Community” service offers guided tours all year round by reservation for groups as well as discovery and thematic tours (machinery, workshops, fun tours, etc.) during school holidays and certain weekends for individuals.

On the program: discovery of the ceremonial areas (peristyle, vestibule, foyer, redoubt) and the original stage curtain, a stroll through the auditorium and its various levels (parterre, balconies, henhouse), a visit to the stage cage and part of the machinery, and the scenery store. The tour ends with a film recounting the restoration adventure.

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