Visit the Manaus Opera House Teatro Amazonas
ÂThe theater was built in 1896, in the heyday of Manaus"s rubber boom, when European rubber barons flocked to this port and brought with them their extravagant architectural and cultural tastes.
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Manaus is now a city booming from the tourism industry. Located in the north of Brazil, along the banks of the Rio Negro, close to the Rio Amazonas, this city is the port and launch point for travelers wanting to visit the Amazon jungle. But before visitors take off for the jungle, many stop to take a gander at this marvel of a theater in downtown Manaus.
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At the turn of the century, this opera house was built in Italian Renaissance style, furnished with French accoutrements, and finished with marble stairs, statues, and columns. There are even chandeliers made of Murano glass. The dome is stunningly covered in ceramic tile with the colors of the Brazilian flag. The auditorium is adorned with plush red velvet seats. Construction on the theatre took 17 years.
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Throughout the 20th century, the opera house was a beacon of European-influence culture that contracted dramatically with the rough and rugged culture of the jungle. But the city, and the theater, fell into disuse during the 20th century, as the quick-buck elite left when artificial rubber was invented and the rubber industry was decimated.
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It wasn"t until recently that the Manaus theater was restored and again became a dazzling centerpiece to Manaus"s downtown historic district. After a 90-year hiatus, opera performances resumed, and now the theater is home to the annual Manaus film festival as well.