The Great Play. Ladislas IV and His Opera Theatre

A guided tour of the exhibition The Great Play: Ladislas IV and His Opera Theatre is an opportunity to explore the history of one of the most dazzling theatrical stages of Baroque Europe, located within the walls of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. It was the first permanent opera house in the Polish lands and one of the earliest north of the Alps. The exhibition tells the story of how an ambitious king transformed the court into a centre of spectacular performances and how art became a powerful instrument of power. Ladislas IV Vasa, King of Poland from 1632 to 1648, belonged to the most enlightened monarchs of his epoch. Located in the southern wing of the residence, the theatre hall was expanded and modernized in subsequent years by Italian architects. It soon became one of the most technologically advanced theatre spaces in Europe. At the exhibition, you will be able to see how storms were created on stage in the 17th century or how gods were made to descend from the heavens.