National Theatre of Costa Rica

코스타리카 국립극장

The National Theatre of Costa Rica is the country's national theatre, in the center of San José. It opened on 21 October 1897 with a performance of Goethe's play Faust, and it holds 1,140 people. Many consider it the finest historic building in the capital.

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At a glance

Country: Costa Rica
Location: San José, Costa Rica
Built: 1897
Type: Theatre

Quick answers

Where is National Theatre of Costa Rica?

National Theatre of Costa Rica is in San José, Costa Rica.

When was National Theatre of Costa Rica built?

National Theatre of Costa Rica was built in 1897.

A neoclassical theatre paid for by a coffee export tax, its roof crowned by statues of Fame, Dance and Music.

It is known for its beautiful inside, with richly decorated rooms and furniture. A neoclassical building in style, it was paid for by the country's coffee trade. The theatre is a lively place today: it hosts performances several times a week, including concerts by the National Symphonic Orchestra, and it is also a tourist attraction.

A theatre paid for by coffee

San José had only about 19,000 people when the theatre was built, and its older rival, the Teatro Mora, had been wrecked by an earthquake. To raise the money, President José Joaquín Rodríguez Zeledón put a tax on coffee, which was then Costa Rica's main export.

Later, one coffee grower asked the government to move the tax from coffee to rice and beans. The first builders made mistakes, which were fixed by an engineer from Italy. In all the work took about seven years.

Art and music

Statues of the Spanish playwright Calderón de la Barca and the composer Ludwig van Beethoven stand at the front, and a monument to Frédéric Chopin is close to the entry path.

Inside is a painting called Allegory of Coffee and Bananas by the Italian artist Aleardo Villa, which also appeared on Costa Rica's five-colón banknote. Today the theatre holds shows several times a week, including the National Symphony Orchestra.