Theater Ribeiro Conceição - Lamego

The original building dates from the 17th century.

It housed the Misericórdia Hospital until 1892. After that, it served as an army barracks until the building was destroyed by fire in 1897. The building remained there for 27 years, practically in ruins, until Commander Ribeiro Conceição bought it from the city council to build a magnificent theatre that opened its doors to the public on the night of 2 February 1929 .

The original façade remained, still bearing a coat of arms with the shield of the Portuguese Royal Crown . Until it was definitively closed to the public at the end of 1987 , the Cine Teatro Ribeiro Conceição offered several generations of Lamecans a wide variety of performances, including cinema, theatre, opera, concerts, ballet, various soirees, circus, etc.

The building was then purchased by the city council and renovation and modernisation work began at the end of 2005. The work consisted of preserving the façade and embellishing the interior, inspired by the architecture of the great Italian theatres, while at the same time equipping the theatre with modern audiovisual equipment. After twenty years of neglect, the magnificent new theatre was finally inaugurated on 23 February 2008.

Willem Vandenameele