Brazil's Amazonia Theaters Earn UNESCO World Heritage Status
Built during the rubber boom, the two late-19th-century theaters reflect Brazil’s push to modernize the Amazon and now join UNESCO’s heritage list.
- On Monday, UNESCO added Brazil's Theatro da Paz and Teatro Amazonas to its World Heritage List, recognizing the two buildings in Belem and Manaus as legacies of the Amazon's "Golden Age."
- Built during the late 19th-century rubber boom, the theaters blend European architectural influences with local materials and serve as "symbols of political and urban ambition," UNESCO said.
- UNESCO recognition extends to the theaters' respective public squares, Praca da Republica and Largo de Sao Sebastiao, creating a "distinctive aesthetic that was at once cosmopolitan and deeply Amazonian."
- The World Heritage designation provides special protection and potential tourism boosts, bringing Brazil's total UNESCO World Heritage sites to 26 as the committee meets in Busan, South Korea.
- While celebrating the "Golden Age," historians note the rubber boom also brought forced labor that decimated Indigenous populations; the Amazon region continues hosting the Central Amazon Conservation Complex at the Negro and Solimoes rivers.
38 Articles
38 Articles
Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF)
onetz.deThe Brazilian cities of Manaus and Belém can cheer: their famous theatres are now World Heritage Sites.
The decision was taken by the World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational Organization, as reported in a joint note by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture, and the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute of Brazil.
The Theatro da Paz, in Belém, and the Teatro Amazonas, in Manaus, were born during the boom of rubber. But the bonanza lasted only a few decades and was interrupted by the betrayal of a British explorer. His legacy has just been recognized by Unesco.
Los Angeles Times
Independent EspañolThe UN cultural agency, UNESCO, added two theaters from the Brazilian Amazon to its World Heritage List on Monday.
Artful ceiling paintings characterize the magnificent theatres in the north of Brazil. Now they are honored by Unesco. They are inspired by European architecture – whoever looks closely even finds the Eiffel Tower in it.
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