The National Theater of São João has a long and troubled history as an architectural space and as a space for theater and socialization, from which one can feel the pulse of Porto society throughout the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Inaugurated in 1798, it established itself as the main theater in Porto, until, in 1908, a fire almost completely destroyed it. The reconstruction took shape and the new theater opened its doors in 1920. During part of the 20th century, cinema took over the space, but in 1992 the Portuguese State acquired the building and redirected it to the theater, revitalizing the space and, above all, the institution - which has become, and remains, one of the greatest promoters of performing arts in the country.