Ribeiro Conceição Theater

The original building dates back to the 17th century. It housed the Misericórdia Hospital until 1892. It then served as an army barracks until the building was destroyed by fire in 1897. The building remained like that, practically in rubble, for 27 years until Commander Ribeiro Conceição bought it from the City Council to build a beautiful theater that opened its doors to the public on the night of February 2, 1929. The original façade remained, still bearing a coat of arms with the shield of the Portuguese royal crown. Until it was definitively closed to the public at the end of 1987, the Cine Teatro Ribeiro Conceição provided several generations of Lamecans with a wide variety of shows, including cinema, theater, opera, concerts, ballet, various soirees, circus, etc. The building was then acquired by the City Council and at the end of 2005 the rehabilitation and modernization work began. The work consisted of preserving the façade and decorating the interior, inspired by the architecture of the great Italian theaters, while at the same time equipping the theater with modern audiovisual equipment. After twenty years of neglect, the magnificent theater was finally inaugurated on February 23, 2008.