Teatro Ramos Carrión, Zamora

Teatro Ramos Carrión is a historic theatre in Zamora, Spain, built in the early twentieth century and named after the city's own writer and humorist, Miguel Ramos Carrión. The building stands on the street that bears his name, directly opposite the house where he was born. After decades as a cinema and a long closure, it was rebuilt from the ground up and now operates as the city's cultural venue.

Who designed the building?

The theatre was designed in 1912 by the Catalan architect Francesc Ferriol i Carreras. It rose on the site of the old courtyard of Zamora's Hospicio, replacing that institutional space with a new public venue for the performing arts.

Why is it named after Ramos Carrión?

The theatre takes its name from Miguel Ramos Carrión, a Zamora-born writer and humorist whose family home stood right across the street from the new building. Naming the theatre after him tied the project to one of the city's best-known literary figures.

How did the theatre open?

Teatro Ramos Carrión opened its doors in 1916. The opening production was La noche del sábado, a play by Jacinto Benavente, one of the leading Spanish dramatists of the period.

What happened to it later in the twentieth century?

Around 1970, audience numbers began to fall as television and changing habits pulled people away from live theatre. The venue was converted into a cinema in an attempt to keep it running, but that arrangement eventually gave out too, and the cinema closed for good on 31 December 1993.

How was the building brought back to life?

In 1996 a design competition was launched to redevelop the building into a modern cultural space. The renovation kept the original entrance section facing the street and was completed in 2011. Since then, the venue has again hosted performances and cultural events for the city.

Where is the theatre located?

It stands on Calle Ramos Carrión in Zamora, in the Castile and León region of northwestern Spain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who was Miguel Ramos Carrión? A writer and humorist born in Zamora, whose family home faced the site where the theatre bearing his name was later built.

Who designed the theatre building? The Catalan architect Francesc Ferriol i Carreras drew up the design in 1912.

What play opened the theatre? The 1916 opening featured La noche del sábado by Jacinto Benavente.

Why did the theatre close in the 1990s? Falling audiences from around 1970 led to its conversion into a cinema, which itself closed for good on 31 December 1993.

When was the building's renovation completed? A redevelopment competition was held in 1996, and the renovated building, which preserved the original entrance, opened in 2011.