46 months after its inauguration, Teatro del Bicentenario is declared “Asset part of the Cultural Heritage of the Province of San Juan, Argentina, within the scope of Provincial Law No. 571-F”. This is due to its architectural characteristics, training activities, significance of the content, identity, educational and cultural value.

Cultural heritage is made up of assets that are considered of great value and that are irreplaceable not only for the building, but also for the historical value and what it represents for a society and its cultural heritage. In this context, the Government of San Juan promulgated the Law in which the Teatro del Bicentenario, dependent on the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, is declared as a “PROVINCIAL HISTORICAL PLACE” and “HISTORICAL SITE”. According to what the Law says:

“They are those places and their respective buildings, linked to events or memories of the past, to popular traditions, cultural or nature creations and to the works of man that have historical value, …; Therefore, it must be preserved in all its parts, both exterior and interior, including its surroundings. It also implies the prohibition to intervene or modify, in whole or in part, without prior authorization from the enforcement authority.

Why is it especially important that it be declared Cultural Heritage?

Because is the cultural heritage of a community that comes from its past, maintained until the present, transmitted to present generations and that we have to preserve for future generations. Cultural Heritage bases its importance on being the conduit to link people with their history, embodies the symbolic value of cultural identities and has a key value to understand peoples.

History

This designation of Teatro del Bicentenario as a Provincial Historic Site is based on the fact that it is located in a place of great importance to the feeling of all San Juan residents, such as the former San Martín Station, an icon of the early days of San Juan, where keeps alive the memory of the passing of the train and its legacy in society. Currently the San Martín Station Cultural Center has been set up there, which with the new Plaza del Bicentenario and the Theater make up a panorama full of culture worthy of value.

Likewise, the theater stands as one of the most important cultural spaces in the country and has a modern design and exceptional technological and acoustic conditions that place it among the best in the world, thus giving rise to the presentation of large-scale shows.

Teatro del Bicentenario constitutes the crystallization of the desire of several generations of San Juan people to have adequate spaces for the development of the performing arts, specifically designed, according to the activity and aspirations of the community.

The opening gala of Teatro del Bicentenario was held on October 21, 2016, with the staging in the main hall of the play “Carmina Burana”, by Carl Orff, anticipated with an unprecedented artistic display on the esplanade Of income. The grand opening event involved more than 500 artists and technicians from San Juan who, together with the Fura dels Baus, gave the kick-off to begin writing the history of Teatro del Bicentenario.