Ancienne chapelle des Oratoriens

In 1616, Bishop Sébastien Zamet called on the Oratorian congregation to run his seminary and train priests for the diocese. The prelate granted the newcomers the land and buildings of the former Saint-Amâtre priory in the southern part of the city. The chapel did not see the light of day until 1676. Sober in its dimensions, plan and decoration, its entrance door is framed by an Ionic portico topped by a pediment.<br>Disused during the French Revolution, the chapel was transformed into an auditorium in 1838. The exterior décor bears witness to this new purpose: masks, scores and musical instruments take pride of place on the pediment. Completely renovated in 2000, the theater now seats 250.

A little background information:
Theatrical programming at the end of the last century was essentially the work of professional companies whose repertory included boulevard plays; these were very popular with the public and could give several performances per session.
More impressive must have been the marquee erected on the Place Bel Air by the Théâtre Borgniet in 1899, "gas-lit, brilliantly decorated and holding 600 spectators". Between August 20 and September 17, this troupe of fifteen actors performed 28 different plays, up to 3 a day!