Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Alfãndega
From the Praça Adalberto Valle, the impressive
Alfãndega
or Customs House, on
Avenida Floriano Peixoto, stands between you and the floating docks. Erected in 1906,
the building was shipped over from England in prefabricated blocks and the tower
once acted as a lighthouse guiding vessels in at night.
Mercado Municipal
Rua dos Barés • Mon-Sat 6am-6pm, Sun 6am-noon • Free
Along the riverfront is the covered
Mercado Municipal
, whose elegant Art Nouveau roof
was designed by Eiffel during the rubber boom and is a copy of the former Les Halles
market in Paris. Inaugurated in 1882 and restored in 2009, the market traditionally
features an assortment of tropical fruit and vegetables, jungle herbs, scores of different
fresh fish and indigenous craft goods jumbled together. Just to the east of this market is
the
Feira Moderna
, selling food, clothes and other goods, while further along is the
colourful
Feira da Banana
, or banana market, displaying mountains of bananas and
plantains, along with other exotic fruits.
Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora da Conceição
Praça Osvaldo Cruz s/n • Open for worship and Mass • Free
he
Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Conceição
, more commonly known as Igreja Matriz,
is a relatively plain building, surprisingly untouched by the orgy of adornment that
struck the rest of the city - though judging by the number of people who use it, it
plays a more active role in the life of the city than many showier buildings. The original
cathedral, built mainly of wood and completed in 1695 by the Carmelite missionaries,
was destroyed by fire in 1850, and the present building dates from 1878, with most of
its materials brought from Europe (mainly Portugal). Around the cathedral are the
Praça Osvaldo Cruz
and the
Praça da Matriz
, shady parks popular with local courting
couples, hustlers and sleeping drunks.
Casa Museu Eduardo Ribeiro
Rua José Clemente 322 • Tues-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 9am-1pm • Free •
T
92 3631 2938
he
Casa Museu Eduardo Ribeiro
was the former residence of journalist and politician
Eduardo Ribeiro, who transformed Manaus into one of the world's finest capitals
during the golden years of the rubber boom. The interior is laid out like a wealthy
town house typical of its time, with lovely pieces of furniture and other artefacts; the
beautiful rocking chair is original. Within the same building are also the headquarters
of the Amazon Academy of Medicine.
Teatro Amazonas
Praça Largo de São Sebastião • 20min guided tours only, leaving every 15min; Mon-Sat 9.15am-5pm • R$10 •
T
92 3232 1768
Several blocks north away from the river lies the city's most famous symbol, the
Te a t ro
Amazonas
or Opera House, which seems even more extraordinary lying in the midst
of all the rampant commercialism hereabouts. The whole incongruous, magnificent
creation, designed in a pastiche of Italian Renaissance style by a Lisbon architectural
firm, cost over R$6 million. After twelve years of building, with virtually all the
materials - apart from the regional wood - brought from Europe, the Opera House
was finally completed in 1896. Its main feature, the fantastic cupola, was created from
36,000 tiles imported from Alsace in France. The theatre's main curtain, painted in
Paris by Brazilian artist Crispim do Amaral, represents the meeting of the waters and
the local water-goddess Iara. The four painted pillars on the ceiling depict the Eiffel
Tower in Paris, giving visitors the impression, as they look upwards, that they are
