The Teatro Nacional D. Maria II (National D. Maria II Theatre) was opened on the 13th of April 1846 during the commemorations of the 27th anniversary of the Queen D. Maria II, hence its name. The idea came about in 1836 due to the growing need of having a National Theatre in Portugal to represent the national dramas in a fitting place. The old headquarters of the Inquisition in Portugal, the Palácio dos Estaús (the Estaús Palace) had been destroyed in a fire in 1836, so it was the ideal choice for the new Theatre. Curiously, the National Theatre was destroyed by a fire in 1964, only to reopen its doors again in 1978.