Peón Contreras Theater, 113 years as an emblem of culture

The Peón Contreras Theater, built in the city of Mérida, capital of the state of Yucatán at the beginning of the 20th century and planned by European architects, is one of the most important opera houses in Mexico.

Merida, Yucatan, (December 22, 2021).- It has more than a century of history and has become a benchmark in Yucatan. The Peón Contreras Theater is an outstanding architectural work of the state, but it is also considered an emblem of the Yucatecan culture.

On December 21, 1908, the work was inaugurated after several modifications to the original project, whose work began in 1900.

Its design was in charge of the architects Pío Piacentini, Enrico Deserti, and Fernando Ceicola, who participated in the initiative of Yucatecan businessmen who formed the Mérida Theater Company to create a modern theater.

The space functioned for at least three decades exclusively as a cinema, but the lack of maintenance degraded its facilities and led to the closure of the space.

It was until 1977 that the State Congress obtained the declaration of the José Peón Contreras Theater as a National Artistic Monument, with this the expropriation of the property was achieved and its conservation and restoration were ensured.

“In December 1981, after an extensive intervention, the building was reopened and placed at the service of Yucatecan society,” explains the Government of Yucatán.

113 years after its inauguration, the theater has hosted theatrical plays, dance, zarzuela, opera, orchestra, soloists, and a wide variety of artistic events.

In addition, academic, civic, and political events have also been held at its facilities.

Today, the Theater is the headquarters of the Yucatán Symphony Orchestra and is considered a piece at the level of the Palace of Fine Arts or the Juárez Theater, in Guanajuato. 

TYT Newsroom