Valletta’s beloved Manoel Theatre is celebrating 292 years since it first opened its doors to the public.
In an announcement on Friday to mark the occasion, its management said that the first performance to be held at the theatre was of “Merope”, a tragedy written by Italian playwright and art critic Marquis Scipione Maffei, in 1732.
“We are proud to still be Malta’s main home for the performing arts,” it added.
Manoel Theatre, Malta’s national theatre, is comprised of two performance areas: the main theatre and the studio theatre. The building is seen as one of the finest examples of Baroque architecture and is one of the oldest working theatres in Europe.
In 1731, Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena, head of the Order of the Knights of St John at the time, purchased two houses with the intention of building a new public theatre. Just 10 months later, it was built and opened to the public.
Over the years it has undergone a number of refurbishment and renovation works in order to preserve its qualities.
The theatre has since become a key part of Malta’s cultural heritage, including the fact that it is venue where the Maltese national anthem, L-Innu Malti, was first heard in public, having been played at a concert on 27th December 1972.
