Palais Garnier

Palais Garnier, named after the architect who designed it in 1862, was immortalized by writer Gaston Leroux in his book Phantom of the Opera. The architecture is a mixture of baroque, classical, Greek and Napoléonic styles. Adorned with mosaics, the foyer has a cupola decorated by painter Marc Chagall and an impressive Rococo staircase, which leads to the theater's magnificent reception rooms. Outside, four stone statues represent allegories of Music, Lyric Poetry, Lyric Theater, and Dance. Since the opening of the Opéra Bastille, the Palais Garnier has concentrated on dance.