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UNESCO recognizes Amazon theaters as World Cultural Heritage Sites

The Theatro da Paz and the Teatro Amazonas have been designated World Cultural Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The joint nomination was approved early Monday morning (Jul. 27). Opened in the late 19th century, when the Amazon region was experiencing intense economic development driven by latex extraction and the rubber trade, the two theaters feature structures built with European materials and share similar cultural purposes, even though 18 years separate their respective openings. Notícias relacionadas:Lula: “Culture helps us see further”.“The Secret Agent” makes history at Golden Globes with two awards.Given their historical proximity, the nomination for these two cultural venues was submitted jointly under “Theaters of the Amazon.” Brazilian heritage sites This approval marks the 26th time that Brazilian cultural, natural, or mixed heritage sites have been added to UNESCO’s international list. Further recipients of this distinction are the cities of Brasília and Ouro Preto, historic centers such as those in Salvador and São Luís, natural sites such as the Central Amazon Conservation Complex, and mixed sites such as the cultures and biodiversity of Paraty and Ilha Grande. The Theatro da Paz was designed to blend the neoclassical style with Amazonian elements, in a structure conceived as an opera house - Tânia Rêgo/Agência Brasil Theatro da Paz Located in Belém, capital of Pará state, in North Brazil, the Theatro da Paz was inaugurated in 1878, and was designed by engineer José Tibúrcio Pereira Magalhães. Its main inspiration was Italy’s La Scala, in Milan. Construction took place from 1869 to 1874, but due to allegations involving costs and government officials, the cultural venue could not be inaugurated until the investigation into the irregularities was concluded. Architecturally, it was designed to blend the neoclassical style with Amazonian elements, in a structure conceived as an opera house, featuring an orchestra pit capable of perfectly balancing the live music with the voices of the opera singers. The facility underwent structural renovations to bring the original project closer to the neoclassical style and to install a 40,000-liter water tank beneath the orchestra pit, which served both to supply the venue’s cooling system and to ensure perfect acoustics during performances. The Theatro da Paz is considered the first opera house in the Amazon and one of the first in Brazil. It holds the title of “monumental theater” and “historical heritage site,” granted by the country’s national heritage authority IPHAN. Teatro Amazonas Opened in 1896 in the Historic Center of Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, the Teatro Amazonas was designed by provincial representative Antônio José Fernandes Júnior, selected by the Portuguese Office of Engineering and Architecture in Lisbon in 1883. The enterprise was also delayed due to high construction costs and a dispute over the plot of land chosen to house the cultural venue. Construction was coordinated by Italian architect Celestial Sacardim. The theater features a Renaissance architectural style, and most of the materials used in its structure were imported from Europe. For example, the 36,000 pieces in the colors of the Brazilian flag were imported from Alsace, France, to form the central dome at the top of the building. For the interior, Pernambuco-born decorator Crispim Amaral chose to use neoclassical elements combined with other styles, giving the venue an eclectic architectural aesthetic. Italian artist Domenico de Angelis was tasked with decorating the Grand Hall, including the fresco titled The Glorification of the Fine Arts in the Amazon. To this day, the Teatro Amazonas preserves much of its original architectural elements and decor and has been listed by IPHAN as a National Historic Landmark since 1966.