Ópera do Tejo

The Ópera do Tejo (Portuguese: [ˈɔpɨɾɐ ðu ˈtɛʒu], Tagus Opera) or Real Casa da Ópera (Royal Opera House) was a luxurious opera house in Lisbon, Portugal. It was inaugurated on March 31, 1755, and destroyed by the earthquake of the same year.^[1]

The theater was located in the historic center of Lisbon, next to the Tagus river in the Ribeira das Naus [pt] area, attached to the old Ribeira Palace.

The project was commissioned by José I of Portugal for the Italian architect Giovanni Carlo Galli da Bibbiena.^[2] The hall had capacity for 600 people on the floor and in 38 boxes.^[3]

The theater was opened with the opera Alessandro nell'Indie by Davide Perez, with libretto by Pietro Metastasio. Before its destruction, the opera also premiered two operas by Antonio Mazzoni with libretti also by Pietro Metastasio, La clemenza di Tito [it] (June 6) and Antigono [de] (October 16).