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Place du Chatelet, Paris
A central crossroads, the place du Chatelet is located between the Pont au Change, which crosses to the Ile de la Cité, and the Boulevard de Sébastopol. Once the site of an imposing fortress, Chatelet is known today for its vast underground metro station, where all lines and all streets performers seem to meet. Two important theaters flank the square and in its center the sphinx-endowed fountain, erected in 1808, commemorates yet another Napoleonic victory, the Egyptian campaign.
Both identical theaters were built by Davioud in 1862 but now lead separate and even rival existences. The Theatre du Chatelet concentrates mainly opera and classical music, with occasional ballet, and usually has a rich program of international performers. It recently acquired an annex in les Halles, the Auditorium, where more unusual of obscure music is performed.
The modernized interior of the Theatre de la Ville, previously named the Sarah Bernhardt, has preserved for posterity the diva's dressing room. Audiences flock here to see the top names of contemporary dance or innovative French theater. Early evening concerts of jazz or world music have recently been scheduled to give office workers a chance to unwind.
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