Liège, a cradle of the arts

Opéra Royal de Wallonie and La Boverie museum of fine arts

Wednesday March 12^th

The “Théatre Royal” dates back to the beginning of the 19th century, when Belgium was still part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The first stone was laid in 1818 in the presence of the then famous French actress Mademoiselle Mars and was opened in November 1820 with a performance of André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry’s comic opera “Zémire et Azor”.

Over the centuries, the theatre has undergone several transformations, the last of which took place from 2009 to 2012 when the theatre was completely renovated both inside and out, and the machinery was adapted to modern techniques.
During our exclusive tour we will get a detailed insight into the highlights in terms of performances, the wide cultural reach and the multifunctional mission of the opera.

The magnificent Italian-style concert hall (capacity 1000) has a magnificent painted ceiling by Emile Berchmans and a monumental chandelier. Our visit takes us further to the rehearsal room on the 9th floor -with its magnificent panorama of Liège-, the Grétry foyer -a magnificent ceremonial space where the “beau monde” used to meet and which is still used to have a drink during the breaks-,  the bar and its paintings by Luis Salazar, the space on several floors with the “loges d’honneur”, the stage on the parterre level and the orchestra pit.

We go up on stage to see the machinery and learn how the sets (décors) and the stage/backstage can be quickly changed or transformed during a performance.

La Boverie

La Boverie, an architectural gem recently renovated by the French architect Rudi Riciotti, offers both a programme of quality international exhibitions and a setting for the permanent collections of the city of Liège. These collections present artistic creations from Liège and abroad through a journey in time from the 16th century to the present day (Ingres, the Impressionists, Chagall, Alechinsky, Magritte, Delvaux, etc.).

Nestled in a screen of greenery on an island between the river Meuse and its tributary, the museum and its surroundings are certainly one of the main attractions of “La Cité Ardente”.

Programme of the day

• 10.00-10.30: Welcome coffee or tea at Brasserie “ Au Point de Vue «
• 10.30-12.15: Guided tour of the Opera (French)
• 12.30-14.30: Lunch at Brasserie “Au Point de Vue”. The lunch consists of 2 courses including a glass of wine/beer/soft drink/water plus coffee and tea. Vegetarian or gluten-free meals are served to participants who have indicated this at registration.
• 14.30-15.00: Departure to La Boverie Museum, Parc de la Boverie, 3. We gather in the entrance hall of the museum. Participants who come by car can park at Parking Mediacité (paying) 200m from the museum. Participants arriving by public transport can take a bus (line 26 or 31) from Liège République Française to Liège Place du Parc (9 min/6 stops). From there, it is a 5-minute walk to the museum.
• 15:00-16:30: guided tour of the museum and presentation of the permanent collection.
• 16:30: end of the day’s programme. Participants interested in visiting the current temporary exhibition “Paul Delvaux and his universe” can do so until 18:00 at a reduced rate (€10), applicable on Wednesdays only. Participants who came by train can easily walk from the museum to Liège-Guillemins station via Esplanade Simone Veil ( 900m/15minutes).

If you have registered and paid for this event, let the organiser know, preferably by e-mail, and he will inform you of any additional guidelines as well as the list of participants in the week preceding the outing.

How to get there

– By car: from Brussels E40 to Liège/Place Saint-Lambert ( +/- 100km/1h15). Underground parking Saint-Lambert/ Place Saint-Lambert (500 parking spaces – €6,5 for 2 h. From there a 5 minutes walk to Opéra via Place Saint-Lambert and rue Joffre.
– By train : from Brussels Central Station : IC train to Liège- /Eupen (1h) . Get off at Liège- Guillemins and from there take a train to Liège Saint-Lambert (8 min/2 stops). From there a 6min (500m) walk to the opera or the meeting point.