Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II (Lisbon)

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The most prominent building bordering the square.
The majestic edifice was erected in the mid-nineteenth century after a neoclassical design by the Italian architect Fortunato Lodi. The theater stands at the site of the fifteenth-century Palácio dos Estaus. The palace gained notoriety when the Inquisition set up their court here. These religious zealots had many so-called heretics burned at the stake in front of the palace.
A fire destroyed the theater's interior in 1964 and it wasn't until 1978 before the theater reopened to the public.
The building's exterior is defined by its monumental neoclassical portico. Six massive Ionic columns support the pediment which is decorated with sculptures depicting Apollo and his muses. Atop the pediment is a statue of Gil Vicente, a fifteenth-century playwright who is considered the founder of Portuguese theater.

www.tndm.pt/pt/