The Teatro Adolfo Mejía (formerly Teatro Heredia) is Cartagena's historic theatre — a Neoclassical opera house opened in 1911 and built on the foundations of a 17th-century convent, with a cream-and-gold interior decorated with murals by Colombian artist Enrique Grau and a horseshoe auditorium inspired by the Palais Garnier in Paris. The theatre hosts the Cartagena International Music Festival every January (Latin America's most important classical music festival) and Colombia's national theatre companies throughout the year.
Even without a performance, the theatre is worth visiting for its lobby and ceiling murals — Grau's 'Four Seasons' on the auditorium dome is one of the finest examples of early-20th-century Colombian decorative painting. The theatre faces the Plaza de la Merced, site of the Convent of La Merced where independence hero Simón Bolívar declared Cartagena's independence from Spain in 1811.
Verified Facts
The theatre opened in 1911
It was built on a 17th-century convent's foundations
Enrique Grau painted the auditorium dome
The Cartagena International Music Festival is held here each January
Get walking directions
Plaza de la Merced, Centro, Cartagena
