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In the 1830s, Hyères was a winter resort of European renown. Numerous celebrities from France and abroad were regular visitors. Its mayor, Alphonse Denis, a man of culture, wanted to develop luxury winter tourism through an ambitious cultural policy. At the time, there were no entertainment venues for wealthy winter visitors. Alphonse Denis decided to build a theater on land he himself had donated to the town.
The building, erected in 1834, was an Italian-style theater of modest dimensions, known at the time as the "petit théâtre" or "la bonbonnière".
Around 1880, the town purchased part of the former mayor's real estate, including his house, garden and the theater. The latter took the name of the late patron of the arts. Numerous shows were presented here until the early 1900s.
The early 1900s, with the opening of the Grand Casino, a vast, modern, functional venue located in the heart of the new districts, marked a period when the Théâtre Denis was virtually abandoned.
It wasn't until the 1930s, under the leadership of Dr. Léopold Jaubert, that the Théâtre Denis came back to life.
Since then, the theater, which has undergone several repair, restoration and refurbishment campaigns, has once again become a major cultural landmark in Hyères.
Theater capacity: 220 seats.
120 seats in the parterre, 60 in the 1st balcony and 40 in the second.
In the 1830s, Hyères was a winter resort of European renown. Numerous celebrities from France and abroad were regular visitors. Its mayor, Alphonse Denis, a man of culture, wanted to develop luxury winter tourism through an ambitious cultural policy. At the time, there were no entertainment venues for wealthy winter visitors. Alphonse Denis decided to build a theater on land he himself had donated to the town.
The building, erected in 1834, was an Italian-style theater of modest...