Salle Richelieu

The Salle Richelieu features a colonnade of stone pillars that wrap around the building, marking the home of the Comedie-Francaise. Built under the direction of Napoleon Bonaparte in eighteen twelve, this theater operates under a royal decree that established a permanent troupe of actors. During the French Revolution, the company split into two factions, leading to a bitter rivalry that only ended when Napoleon forced the actors to reunite here, establishing the state institution that performs Moliere and Racine today.