Opera Narodowa

The Teatr Wielki was erected in 1825–33, according to a design by Antonio Corazzi. It was then reconstructed several times. During the 1939 seige of Warsaw it was bombarded and almost completely destroyed. In 1945–65 the company performed on other stages while the buiding was being rebuilt from rubble and extended. The new, larger and more modern opera house was opened on 19 November 1965. Opera was brought to Poland just thirty years after it first appeared in Florence, by Royal Prince Ladislaus IV Vasa. In 1628 he invited the first Italian opera troupe to Warsaw.For over 170 years the Teatr Wielki has been Poland's grandest opera and ballet theatre. It was built in 1825–1833 to a design by the Italian architect Antonio Corazzi of Livorno.The building was converted several times. It was bombed during the siege of Warsaw in 1939 and almost completely ruined. Only the original classicist façade survived. The Polish National Ballet is the successor of Teatr Wielki's illustrous ballet company and continues the great Warsaw ballet traditons that go back to the 17th century.