Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
actually underneath the tower itself. The chandeliers are of Italian crystal and French
bronze, and the theatre's seven hundred seats, its main columns and the balconies are
all made of English cast iron. If you include the dome, into which the original curtain
is pulled up in its entirety, the stage is 75m high.
Major restorations have taken place in 1929, 1960, 1974 and in 1990, when the
outside was returned from blue to its original pink. Looking over the upstairs balcony
down onto the road in front of the Opera House, you can see the black driveway made
from a special blend of rubber, clay and sand, originally to dampen the noise of horses
and carriages as they arrived. Regular performances continue to be held at the theatre.
5
Praça São Sebastião
In front of the Teatro, the wavy black-and-white mosaic designs of the
Praça São
Sebastião
represent the meeting of the waters, and are home to the Monument to
the Opening of the Ports, a marble-and-granite creation with four ships that represent
four continents - America, Europe, Africa and Asia/Australasia - and children who
symbolize the people of those continents. The Praça São Sebastião is getting trendier
by the year, with a growing number of interesting shops, bars and arty cafés.
Igreja Largo São Sebastião
Rua 10 de Julho • Daily 7am-8pm
Also on the Praça São Sebastião is the beautiful little
Igreja Largo São Sebastião
, built
in 1888, and, like many other churches in Brazil, with only one tower due to the
nineteenth-century tax levied on those with two towers.
Palácio da Justiça
Avenida Eduardo Ribeiro 833 • Tues-Fri 1-5pm, Sun 5-9pm • Free •
T
92 3248 1844
The beautifully preserved
Palácio da Justiça
was inaugurated in April 1900 and until
April 2006 served as the main state court. The building was inspired by French
Imperial architecture and English Neoclassicism, and today serves as a cultural centre
and museum. Its sumptuous interior features polished wooden floors and wonderfully
high ceilings, while above the central portico is a statue of the Greek goddess Themis,
personifying justice and eternal law; contrary to traditional representation, the goddess
here is not blindfolded.
Centro Cultural Usina Chaminé
Av Lourenço da Silva Braga s/n • Tues-Fri 10am-4pm, Sun 5-8pm • Free •
T
92 3633 3026
This interactive museum located in a lovely mansion displays all manner of artefacts,
oils, herbs and spices of indigenous life that are aimed at stimulating the five senses.
There are temporary exhibitions, plus theatrical and musical performances.
Palacete Provincial
Praça da Polícia • Tues & Wed 9am-5pm, Thurs-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 4-8pm •
T
92 3631 6047
he
Palacete Provincial
is a cultural complex housing four museums and the Pinacoteca
do Estado Amazonas, a permanent art exposition featuring the works of local, national
and international artists. The
Museu da Imagem e do Som do Amazonas
(or Image and
Sound museum) houses audiovisual and multimedia displays of Amazonian culture,
while the
Sala de Arqueologia
(or Archeological Room) showcases archeological finds
unearthed in the Amazon region, including tools, utensils and ancient burial jars. The
Museu Tiradentes
displays military memorabilia, while the
Museu de Numismática
houses a collection of Ancient Greek and Roman coins as well as old Brazilian currency.
