THE PROJECT 

The project to create Teatro Cervantes, which was drawn up to grace the city of Malaga with a grand theatre, was commissioned to city architect Jeronimo Cuervo, who had previously created significant urban architectural landmarks. Cuervo was aided by the Valencia-born painter living in Malaga , Bernardo Ferrandiz, and the two of them designed the building's decoration jointly. However, due to the haste with which the construction was carried out, they were forced to get help from another painter, the malagueño Muñoz Degrain.

 

CEILING DECORATIONS 

Ferrándiz was commissioned to paint the drop curtain (in which he included a self-portrait in the figure of Mephistopheles) and the ceiling. He decided to paint an allegory of the city on the ceiling, including a figure to represent the Fine Arts in the centre of the canvas, surrounded by all the varying aspects of the city's economy, which at the time was in full blossom: agriculture, pottery, industry, transport, fishing, its strategic location as a trading port, all of which, as we pointed out earlier, had given rise to a new wealthy social class that sought to promote the city’s culture by building this temple to the arts.

 

GRAND OPENING 

Works on the new theatre took place from April to November 1870. The grand opening took place on 17th December with an interpretation of the William Tell Overture. The local press highlighted the theatre’s capacity (2,300 to 2,400 people), the stage’s exceptional dimensions, as well as its ornamentation, which created a truly suggestive atmosphere in the building's interior. But without a doubt, the building’s most striking feature was its conception of space, in which the architect showed his great stature and training. Shortly after the Spanish Ministry of Culture initiated proceedings to do so, the Teatro Miguel de Cervantes was declared a Historical and Artistic Monument.

 

YEARS OF NEGLECT 

Over the years the building underwent a series of different changes that altered its appearance, but it was ultimately indifference and neglect that almost succeeded in reducing Teatro Cervantes to ruins. In 1950, the Theatre was in a serious state of decay; its facilities were adapted to comply with current legislation and a series of works were carried out that gravely altered its design, layout and architectural elements. A bar and a projection booth were set up in the building's interior and its activities were reduced to showing films.

 

RECONSTRUCTION

In 1984, the Malaga City Hall acquired Teatro Cervantes and financed the works to reconstruct the building, receiving subsidies from the Ministry of Public Works and Urban Planning, the Ministry of Culture and from the Department of Public Works and Transport from the regional Andalusian government. The new theatre, with a final capacity of 1,171 seats divided up into orchestra seats and stage boxes, was equipped with all the material, fixtures and instruments required by current legislation for a public theatre of its characteristics. Her Majesty Queen Sofía attended the opening ceremony on 6th April 1987 , in which a concert was offered by the City of Malaga 's Symphonic Orchestra.