BRUXELLES – LE THÉÂTRE DE LA MONNAIE.

Nothing neo-Gothic here! Another Eclectic Style building: the Brussels' Opera House called these days La Monnaie or De Munt. The name gives a clue to the origins of the building site rather than the function of the building. It is built on the site of the ‘Herberge van Oistervant’ Mint - (‘La Monnaie’ is the French word for ‘coins’).

The building we see in the postcard is the third stage of a building process which began in 1700 when the first Opera House was built in Brussels on a design by the architects Paolo and Pietro Bezzi. It was paid for by Gio Paolo Bombarda, banker and financial counsellor to Maximilian II Emmanuel of Bavaria and governor of the Spanish Netherlands. He had it built for opera, theatre and ballet performances.

In 1800 Napoleon had the place renovated and redesigned by the French architect Louis Damesme. This was burnt out in 1855 although the facade remained.

In 1856 Joseph Poelaert (1817-1879) did a new fit out and restoration which is the basis of the building we see in Brussels today. It was again renovated in 1985. It was Joseph Poelaert who also had a hand in the Palais de Justice, the Chateau Royal at Laeken and St Catherine's Church. More of that to come. It seems the Miller's had a liking for the new architectural style of Joseph Poelaert.

300 years of opera and history at the Koninklijke Muntschouwburg.

Perhaps the most notable event in the Monnaie's history was a performance of Daniel Auber's opera La Muette de Portici in August 1830 after it had been earlier banned. These days an obscure opera it tells the tale an Italian uprising against Spanish rule and was the first of what we now call the genre "Grand Opera". It also had a rather stirring tune or two!

Some say that a duet performance of the song "Amour sacré de la patrie" in Act II at the Monnaie in Brussels on August 1830 started a riot!

"The Belgian Revolution of 1830 was a consequence of profound differences between the northern part of the Netherlands, and the southern part (that soon would secede as the state of Belgium). The north was mainly protestant, progressive, and trade oriented. The south was mainly Roman Catholic, conservative, and the economy was based upon (heavy) industry. Daniel Auber's opera "La Muette de Portici" ("The Mute Woman of Portici", nowadays known as "Masaniello") ignited the spark that started the Revolution. A famous patriotic song performed in this opera play, lead to riots, which soon grew crescendo to a military revolt of a few hundred patriots. The inefficient reaction of the Dutch army and the political support of Great Britain and France did the rest: after a few weeks Belgium was declared independent. But what was the opening line of the famous song that inspired this revolt?"

"Amour sacré de la patrie
Rends-nous l'audace et la fierté
A mon pays je dois la vie
Il me devra la liberté."

http://www.funtrivia.com/en/subtopics/Belgium-in-the-XIXth-Century-217223.html

Others maintain that " the so called Belgian Revolution was well prepared (rioters were paid in advance some weeks before the performance took place), had social roots and therefore was not due to the inflammatory power of "Amour sacré de la patrie"" (Jozef Sterkens)

A postcard published by L. Lagaert of Brussels - Number 37.

Looks quite peaceful in the photo postcard though. Love the passers-by!