Cervantes Theater
The Cervantes Theater (Spanish: Teatro Cervantes) is located in the Mexican city of Guanajuato. The building is of stone in the colonial style, designed by José Martínez Cossio and inaugurated in 1979. It is a venue of the Festival Internacional Cervantino, but also holds other events during the rest of the year.
Description
[edit]The theater is a rectangular stone building in colonial style, and includes a large wooden double door on its facade. In front of the building is the Plaza Allende, which contains statues of Don Quijote and Sancho Panza on horseback.[1][2] Inside, it has a capacity of 430 and a statue of writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.
History
[edit]The theater was designed by architect José Martínez Cossio and inaugurated on September 1, 1979. The first event held at the venue was a concert by pianist Guadalupe Parrondo.[1][3] Previously, it was the site of the movie theater Cine Colonial, and the land once belonged to a hacienda dedicated to the smelting of metals.[4][3]
On the fortieth anniversary of the Festival Cervantino, a time capsule was interred at the base of the Quijote and Sancho statues, which included a book documenting the first four decades of the event as well as photographs, letters and more.[3]
Function
[edit]The venue is primarily for the Festival Internacional Cervantino, with less-regular events during the rest of the year. These include the Festival de Titerías (puppets) and Andar de Paella, organized by the Universidad Santa Fe as part of a week-long city gastronomy festival.[1][3] The theatre has hosted plays, operas, concerts, dances, shows for children, festivals, film events, and state and local political events.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Teatro Cervantes". Sistema de Información Cultural (in Spanish). CONACULTA. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
- ^ "Lonely Planet". Teatro Cervantes. Lonely Planet. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
- ^ a b c d Manzano, Fabiola (November 12, 2014). "Teatro Cervantes y Plaza Allende". Periódico AM. Retrieved March 11, 2015.
- ^ "Teatro Cervantes". Quijote TV. Retrieved March 11, 2015.