Illustration - Loire Valley

FRANCE - LOIRE VALLEY - MAINE ET LOIRE (49) - CASTLE OF BRISSAC : THEATER. ABANDONED FOR 50 YEARS, IT WAS BEAUTIFULLY RESTORED IN THE LATE TWENTIETH CENTURY. THE MARQUISE DE BRISSAC, BORN JEANNE SAY, HAD IT ARRANGED BECAUSE IT WAS A GREAT PASSIONATE OPERA AND A TALENTED INTERPRETER BUT ITS TITLE AND RANK FORBADE ANY REPRESENTATION IN PUBLIC. THE 200-SEAT THEATER WAS INAUGURATED IN 1890. ACCOMPANIED BY HER MUSIC LOVERS, SHE PERFORMED WORKS BY WAGNER, GOUNOD, MASSENET, SAINT-SAENS, DONIZETTI AND OFFENBACH. Photo by Stephane Compoint/Only France/ABACAPRESS.COM