Théâtre du Jeu de Paume (Aix-en-Provence, France)
Théâtre du Jeu de Paume
Louis XIV practiced the palm there in 1660. Transformed into a theater in the following century, it is today one of the last examples, with the Queen's Theater in Versailles, of an Italian-style hall dating from the 18th century. A red and felted setting, it is an ideal place for intimate operas, contemporary creations, recitals or chamber music concerts.
It was on the site of a "Royal" Jeu de Paume (Louis XIV, it is said, "played tennis there"), that the Théâtre d'Aix en Provence was started in 1756 and inaugurated in 1787. The city became its owner in 1829 and called on Dominique Bluzet, in October 1996, to manage it. In 1998, the municipality undertook total renovation work, leading to its closure for two seasons and the relocation of performances to the Salle du Bois de l'Aune. The new Theater was inaugurated in May 2000 as well as the stage curtain made by the painter Gérard Traquandi. The Jeu de Paume room has been listed in the supplementary inventory of Historic Monuments since 1981.