The seats in the pit and the first and second tiers are
covered with dark-red silk damask; the royal box is a splendid
saloon, the floor of which is covered with the finest carpets.
Beautiful oil-paintings, in tasteful gold frames, ornament the
plafond; but the magnificent chandelier is the greatest curiosity.
It looks so massively worked in bronze, that it is painful to see
the heavy mass hang so loosely over the heads of the spectators.
But it is only a delusion; for it is made of paste-board, and
bronzed over. Innumerable lamps light the place; but one thing
which I miss in such elegant modern theatres is a clock, which has a
place in nearly every Italian theatre.
The other buildings on this square are also distinguished for their
size and the beauty of their architecture.
An unusually broad stone bridge, with a finely-made iron balustrade,
is built over a little arm of the Spree, and unites the square of
the opera with that on which the palace stands.
The royal museum is one of the finest architectural piles, and its
high portal is covered with beautiful frescoes. The picture-gallery
contains many chefs-d'oeuvre; and I regretted that I had not more
time to examine it and the hall of antiquities, having only three
hours for the two.
