Theatro Municipal

The Theatro Municipal opened in 1909 as part of the reform under mayor Pereira Passos that drove avenues through colonial Rio and gave the centre its Parisian ambitions, and the building follows the Paris Opera closely - a grand staircase, a foyer of marble and bronze, mosaics and a gilded auditorium of around seventeen hundred seats. The materials were largely imported: Italian marble, French bronze, German glass. The Salao Assirio in the basement is decorated in an Assyrian revival scheme that has no obvious connection to anything else in the building and is now used as a restaurant and event space. Guided tours run on weekdays and cover the auditorium, foyer and, when rehearsals allow, backstage. It remains the home of the city's opera and orchestra.

What you actually see

• A copy of the Paris Opera - staircase, foyer and gilded auditorium of 1909.
• Imported materials throughout - Italian marble, French bronze, German glass.
• The Salao Assirio - an Assyrian revival basement unrelated to the rest.
• A working opera house - still home to the city's company and orchestra.

When to go

All year. Two hours for a tour, an evening for a performance.

Honest expectations

Tours run at fixed times, mostly in Portuguese, and are cancelled when rehearsals overrun. The auditorium may not be included on any given day. Cinelandia is busy by day and thins out at night. Book performance tickets ahead.

Nearby

The National Library and Museum of Fine Arts face the same square; Lapa is west.