Théâtre des Tuileries  The Théâtre des Tuileries was a theatre in the former Tuileries Palace in Paris. It was also known as the Salle des Machines, because of its elaborate stage machinery, designed by the Italian theatre architects Gaspare Vigarani and his two sons, Carlo and Lodovico. Constructed in 1659–1661, it was originally intended for spectacular productions mounted by the court of the young Louis XIV, but in 1763 the theatre was greatly reduced in size and used in turn by the Paris Opera (up to 1770), the Comédie-Française (from 1770 to 1782), and the Théâtre de Monsieur (from January to December 1789). In 1808 Napoleon had a new theatre/ballroom built to the designs of the architects Percier and Fontaine. The Tuileries Palace and the theatre were destroyed by fire on 24 May 1871, during the Paris Commune. The auditorium, designed and decorated by the architects Charles Errard, Louis Le Vau, and François d'Orbay, was housed in a pavilion located at the north end of the palace as originally built by the architect Philibert de l'Orme for Catherine de Médicis. Estimates of its seating capacity range from 6,000 to 8,000. The unusually deep stage was located in a gallery situated between the auditorium and a new, more northern pavilion, later designated as the . The hall was inaugurated on 7 February 1662 with the premiere of Cavalli's "Ercole amante". The costs of the project, including construction of the theatre, came to 120,000 "livres", yet the opera was only performed eight times. The theatre was not used again until January 1671, when "Psyché", a scenically spectacular play with music and ballet, was presented. This production cost 130,000 "livres" and was only performed twice. ("Psyché" was reduced in size and successfully revived at the smaller Théâtre du Palais-Royal in July.) The Salle des Machines was not used again for musical theatre during the remainder of Louis XIV's reign. In 1720, during the Regency of Louis XV, the hall was remodeled again, at a cost of nearly 150,000 "livres", and the court ballet "Les folies de Cardenio" with music by Michel Richard Delalande was given.