Braga - Theatro Circo

With around 200,000 inhabitants, Braga is the third largest city in Portugal.

The Romans conquered the country around 140 BC. In 3 BC, they founded the Roman city of Bracara Augusta on this site and made it the capital of a judicial district. In 283, the city became the capital of the province of Gallaecia. In the course of the Migration Period, Braga became the capital of the Suebi kingdom in 411, which became Visigothic in 586.

In 715, the region fell to the Moors, but the Christians succeeded in reconquering it in 868. In 908, Braga became the capital of the Kingdom of Galicia. In the 10th century, the Moors repeatedly waged war in the region. In 1112, the city became the seat of an archbishop. In the 16th century, it was redesigned in the Baroque style and partially remodelled in the 18th century with neoclassical buildings.
Braga is the center of one of the oldest dioceses of the iberian peninsula, dating to the back to the Migration Period, when Martin of Dumio was able to christianize the invading Suebi tribes.

In 1906, a group of people from Braga founded the Theatro Circo. This project was a response to the wishes of the city, which was experiencing a major theatre development, similar to the rest of the country.

The project for the new theatre was carried out by architect Moura Coutinho and was built in a part of the space previously occupied by the defunct Convento dos Remédios. Work began in 1911 and was completed in 1914. The main room had a capacity of 1500 seats. Due to its size and architecture, it was considered one of the largest and most beautiful theatres in the country at the time. In the 1930s, sound film was added to theatre. This renewed art marked a turning point in the Theatro Circo. The screening of films led to the decline of the then traditional arts.

After the Carnation Revolution, all plays focused on the central theme of freedom. However, the opening of new cinemas and the advent of television in the country led to the economic decline of the Theatro Circo. In order to regain a certain level of profitability, the Café Bristol was sold to a bank. In 1974, a "studio" cinema was opened. In 1987, the Braga Theatre Company opened a branch in the Theatro Circo. In 1988, Braga City Council acquired the building.

At the end of the 1990s, Braga City Council and the Ministry of Culture drew up a plan to restore the original design and remodel the foyer and main auditorium (now with 899 seats). Work began in 2000. The theatre reopened in 2006