Look straight ahead and you can’t miss it-the grand, light-colored stone facade with the words “Teatro Campoamor” gleaming in gold above the doors. Notice the tall, elegant windows that stretch skyward on the upper floors and the three sets of arched doors on the ground level, perfectly framed by lantern-style street lights. The building is both solid and graceful at once, like it’s ready for a night at the opera or a royal event-because, quite often, it is!
Now, as you stand in front of this magnificent building, just imagine the bustling excitement from 1892, when the curtain first rose right inside. The Campoamor Theater was born from a need-a stage big enough and grand enough for all the operas and theatre the city’s new wealthy crowd longed to see. Before this, performances were squeezed into the old Fontán Theatre. But Campoamor arrived with drama, located right where the old convent of Santa Clara once stood.
Picture the mayor at the time, José Longoria Carbajal, determined to gift Oviedo something extraordinary. The project took years-life rarely goes as quickly as a one-act play. Finally, in 1883, the shell was finished. Then, the city named it after the famous Asturian poet, Ramón de Campoamor. He couldn’t make it to the opening show, so-here’s a twist even a theater audience would love-he sent his brother and a thousand pesetas to be shared with Oviedo’s poorest residents. The city handed out that money, 250 pesetas at a time, to each of the four parishes. That’s what you call a standing ovation for generosity!
Opening night in 1892 featured the opera “Los Hugonotes” by Meyerbeer-imagine the music spilling out on a September evening. Over the years, Lucia di Lammermoor graced the stage, and the ovation tradition continued-making this the oldest continuous opera season in Spain, after Barcelona’s Gran Teatro del Liceo.
But every good theater knows drama! In 1934, during the Revolution, the building suffered terrible damage. Only the main facade stubbornly survived, standing tall and proud amid the ruins. After the war, the theater rose from its ashes, opening once again with “Manón” in 1948-back to life, brighter than ever.
Renovations continued, from backstage trickery to a sparkling new stage, lush modern lighting, roomy orchestra pits, and all the behind-the-scenes magic you’d expect from a theater that’s seen over 130 years of ovations, near-misses, comebacks, and costumes. These days, about 1,491 seats welcome guests on five grand levels. And if you happen to wander by after sunset, don’t miss the theater glowing with special lights funded by the Hidrocantábrico foundation.
And here’s the encore: each fall, Oviedo’s red carpet moment arrives with the Princess of Asturias Awards-stealing the spotlight and filling the city with whispers and excitement. So, stand tall, take a bow, and don’t be surprised if the spirit of an old opera or two follows you to your next stop!
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