The Rotunda of the Season-Ticket Holders

A rotunda is an architectural term for a hall or building beneath a round roof, from the Latin rotundus, meaning "round." Look around and you'll see red marble columns circling the hall and holding up the ceiling. They're made of top-quality marble brought from Italy.

This space was originally the entrance hall for regular subscribers. In the past, wealthy patrons who rented a box at Palais Garnier by the year would gather here. These wealthy patrons were members of the new bourgeoisie, who had made fortunes in industry and commerce as industrialization took off, and opera became especially popular thanks to them. Just as aristocrats and royals held classical concerts among themselves, the bourgeoisie wanted to show off their own expensive taste in the arts, and the tradition of paying high prices for good seats at the opera house took hold.

As a result, Palais Garnier also served as a social venue for the bourgeoisie, particularly as a place for bourgeois women to go out at night. Bourgeois men had plenty of nighttime options such as the Moulin Rouge, but there were few places women could go after dark.

On the ceiling, look for a round band of overlapping letters. Charles Garnier's signature is hidden there. It reads "jean louis charles garnier architecte 1861 1875," so see if you can find it. If you listened to the pre-trip tracks, you may remember the dates 1861 and 1875: they mark the years Garnier spent building the opera house. Architect Jean Louis Charles Garnier signed it as if to say, "I built this building during these years."

Next up is the Pythia fountain. Follow the video for directions. Face right and head in through the area marked on screen, where staff will check your ticket. After that, continue straight ahead and stop in front of the Pythia fountain before listening to the next track.