Door to the former "Les Fantaisies Toulonnaises" comedy house

In 1765, a decree from the Parliament of Provence allowed an individual, Nicolas Boullet, to build Toulon's first theater. It opened its doors for the first time in 1770 and gave its name to the "Rue de la Comédie".

However, the monumental doorway we know today was built at a later date. At the center of the entablature, a white marble plaque bears the inscription "Fantaisies toulonnaises", the theater's later name. Above, a medallion adorned with a shell, a child's head and horns of plenty; on either side of the medallion, a group of attributes of Music and Comedy.

The Théâtre de la Comédie has played host to the likes of Talma, Rachel and composer Offenbach. As a result of bombing during the Second World War, the monumental door is the only remaining reminder of the city's first theater.