Gumbo was visiting the beautiful and historic National Theater in San Jose, Costa Rica. Congratulations to PortMoresby, Professor Abe, George G and Jonathan L., who recognized where we were at.
San Jose is a city of character, but generally not a city of beautiful architecture or fine buildings. Of the many we saw, this was easily the most interesting and attractive place in town. During non-CoVid times one could catch a large varieties of performances here, ranging from theater to opera, symphonies to ballets. It has become one of the city’s main tourist attractions.
Construction of the Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica took seven years and was completed in 1897, when San Jose was a community of just 20,000. At this time the economy was growing as coffee exports were booming. The president of Costa Rica put a tax on coffee, raising enough money to build this fine theater, whose design was inspired by Paris’ Opera House.
Outside the front of the National Theater is an interesting collection of statues, including of Ludwig van Beethoven and Frederyk Chopin….
Several other interesting pieces were scattered around the small garden surrounding the exterior…
You enter into a beautiful lobby, which is ornate, including a beautifully decorated ceiling. This is where you’ll buy your tickets to enter the theater, which you generally do as a group with a guide. There is also a great cafe on the left.
The lobby has a number of statues, several of which were the original Muses put on the top of the front facade (which have been replaced by replicas),
The following statues reflect “Tragedy” and “Comedy” respectively, a tribute to the theatric arts.
(Tragedy)
(Comedy)
The main auditorium is spacious, with a large open ceiling, hundreds of comfortable seats, and a grand stage. The acoustics are excellent!
(Our guide, in late 19th century period costume)
The auditorium’s central chandelier is surrounded by a fanciful painting.
Our tour took us around the theater, including into a large room upstairs that seemed to function as a reception space for special events. While it is covered with carpet most of the time, the underlying hardwood floor is beautiful!
Even the staircases are grand and elegant….
Of special pride to the Ticos is a ceiling paint known as “Allegory of Coffee and Bananas”, by Aleardo Villa, an Italian artist. The painting is dedicated to the coffee farmers of Costa Rica who paid for this building. But there are technical problems related to the painting, namely that coffee beans grow in the mountains and not at low altitude where bananas grow. And bananas are carried over the shoulder and not “hugged”. In any event, the painting is popular and was featured on the five colones paper bill for many years until it was replaced by a coin.
Very recommended for those visiting San Jose.
