After the demolition of the Grand Theatre, in 1883, the Madeiran people started to claim the construction of a new theatre in the city of Funchal.
On February 9th 1882, the City Hall of Funchal, made the decision to build a new Theatre, on the fields of the old St. John’s Market.
The chosen project was elaborated by the architect Tomás Augusto Soler from Oporto. However, with its early death in 1883, the project was handed over to its fellow architect José Macedo de Araújo Júnior. It is unknown if the original project suffered any changes.
The theatre follows the typical Italian model, based on the “São Carlos Theatre” in Lisbon and the” La Scala Theatre” in Milan.
The construction works of the new Theatre began with the symbolic act of laying the first stone on October 24th 1884, by the Mayor João Sauvair da Câmara. This event had the presence of many locals and three musical bands performed at the Municipal Garden.
Due to the complexity of the construction, it was necessary to hire the Master Builder Manuel Francisco Pereira.
The Italian architect and scenographer Luigi Manini and the Portuguese Eugénio Cotrim were in charge of the decoration and scenography.
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The construction works were concluded on July 29th 1887, however the theatre was only officially inaugurated on March 11th 1888, with the exhibition of the zarzuela “Las dos Princesas”, by the Spanish Company of José Zamorano, from the Canary Islands.
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The theatre´s name suffered some changes in its early stages. Initially, in homage to the Queen of the time, it was named “Theatre D. Maria Pia”. As a result of the Republican Revolution, the City Hall thought that the name of the Queen wasn’t suitable with the new regime and changed it to “Theatre Dr. Manuel de Arriaga” in November 1910.The chosen name was a tribute to a deputy of Madeira, who was the first elected president of the Portuguese Republic, however he didn’t accept the gesture and determinedly declined it.
So, in November 12th 1912, the Theatre was renamed “Teatro Funchalense”, but with the death of Manuel de Arriaga in 1917, his name came up again, and the Theatre gained its name.
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In the year of 1935, the Funchal City Hall, presided by Fernão de Ornelas, decided once again, to change the Theatre’s name to “Baltazar Dias”, as homage to the great blind poet and playwright, born in Madeira and an essential reference of the Portuguese theatre scene.
His name remains to this day, in a building that since its opening has been presenting our city with an unmatched architectural beauty, as well as, with activities and shows, that make this Theatre the biggest mark of the cultural life of the Island.
Who was Baltazar Dias?
The theatre owes its name to the blind poet of Madeira, playwright of the second half of 21st Century, whose works have been represented in popular European acts, in Africa and in Brazil.
The novels of Baltazar Dias, belong to a community of poetic traditions, linked to the history of European lyric poetry. He is regarded as the “nationalizer of the European novels”.
The poet requested King D. João III, the privilege to be the only one who could print and sell his works.
It is uncertain how many years he lived in Lisbon, but it is believed that in his late years he lived in Beira.
His work was divided in acts, novels and ballads:
- Auto Breve da Paixão de Cristo – 1613 (Brief Act of the Passion of Christ)
- Auto da Malícia das Mulheres – 1640 (Act of the Women’s Malice)
- História da Imperatriz Porcina – 1660 (The story of the Empress Porcina)
- Auto do Nascimento (Birth Act)
- Auto de Santa Catarina (Saint Catherine’s Act)
- Auto de Santo Aleixo (Saint Alexius’ Act)
- A Tragédia do Marquês de Mântua (The Tragedy of the Marquis of Mantua)
- Conselhos Para Bem Casar ( Advices to a Good Marriage)