Opéra de Monaco

You're standing at the Opéra de Monte-Carlo. Don't look for a separate opera house, though. The opera is actually part of the famous Monte Carlo Casino. That sounds odd, but there's a reason. In the 1870s, Monaco had very little in the way of culture. So Prince Charles the Third and the casino company, the Société des Bains de Mer, decided to add a concert hall to the casino. The public came in through the casino itself. The prince had his own private entrance on the western side.