Comédie Française

The building you are approaching is the Salle Richelieu, the historic home of the Comédie-Française. Founded in sixteen eighty by King Louis the Fourteenth, it holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously active theater company in the world. People often refer to the institution as the House of Molière, honoring the legendary playwright whose own acting troupe formed the core of the company long after his death. The theater remains a cornerstone of French culture, maintaining a permanent troupe of actors who perform under a unique social structure that has been in place for over three centuries.