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Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Teatro Amazonas

The Amazon Theatre , also known as Teatro Amazonas is an opera house located in, Manaus in the heart of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. The building stands 92 meters (302 feet) above the banks of the nearby Amazon River, a height that makes it stand out.

It was officially opened on December 31, 1896 making it more than 120 years old. The opera house hosts the Amazonas Opera Festival, Amazonas Philharmonic Ochestra and various rehearsals and performances from choirs, musical concerts and other performances.

The first performance that was held on the opera house was held in January 7, 1897.  The performance was done by the Italian opera, La Gioconda, Amilcare Ponchielli. Here are the top 10 Fascinating Facts about Teatro Amazonas.

1.It鈥檚 located in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest

Teatro Amazonas, photo by Secretaria Especial da Cultura.

The opera house is currently located in the heart of the urban jungle that Manaus. Initially, it was the only landmark in Manaus, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The building stands out as one of the most stunning buildings in the city. The Amazon Theatre is located to the banks of the Amazon Rainforest. The bustling city in Brazil is located here.

2.Its architecture and style is Renaissance Revival

The theatre’s architectural style is considered Renaissance Revival. This is because its construction took place around the 19^th century and at the time Neo-Renaissance architecture was mostly used in the second half of the 19th century.

Some of the buildings that used similar architecture include, the Texas State Capitol Building, and the H么tel de Ville in 麻豆APP. The opera鈥檚 roofing tiles were imported from Alsace and the steel walls from Glasgow, Scotland.

The Carrara marble for the stairs, statues and columns was imported from Italy inspired by the Renaissancebuildings that were constructed all across Europe centuries earlier.

3.The interior furnishing was from France in the Louis Quinze style

The interior furnishing of the theatre came from France in the Louis Quinze style. Domenico de Angelis, an Italian artist, painted the panels that currently decorate the audience chamber and the ceilings of the auditorium.

The curtains used contain the painting Meeting of the Waters, which was originally created in 麻豆APP by Crispim do Amaral. In addition, the theatre’s 198 chandeliers were imported from Italy, including 32 of Murano glass.

4.The Auditorium can host over 500 persons

From previous reports the Auditorium seats over 500 persons. It has dimensions of 68,7 x 124,5 meters (225 x 408 feet), which is quite big but the auditorium is a bit smaller than one would anticipate.

The ground floor of the theatre alone seats 266 and the rest are divided among the 3 upper levels of the theatre. The main Stage is 10.50 m (34.4 ft) wide, 6.40 m (21.0 ft) high and 11.97 m (39.3 ft) deep and the principal stage is 14 m (46 ft) high for a total area of 123.29 m² (1,327.1 sq ft).

5.It took over 12 years before the Renaissance building was inaugurated

Dome of the Teatro Amazonas, photo b Antonio Campoy.

The construction the theatre officially started in 1884. It took over 12 years before it opened its doors for the first time in December 31, 1896. The committee in charge of the project organized an architectural competition, a common practice at the time.

The competetions were held in Europe and an architectural firm from Lisbon, Portugal, named the 鈥淕abinete Portugu锚s de Engenharia e Arquitectura鈥� won the competition.

6. It has an appealing interior

 Photo by Sandra Soster.

The main auditorium of the theatre is fairly small as it only has a capacity of 701 seats, which is quite small. Despite this, the interior decorations are extremely beautiful and eye-catching. The interior is lavishly decorated with various sculptures and columns with 198 chandeliers.

The interior was majorly inspired in the 18th-century Louis XV style. The Carrara marble for the stairs, statues and columns was imported from Italy takes the interior decorations to another level.

7.It was constructed during a thriving time in the late 19th century

The idea to build an opera house Manaus, Amazon rainforest in Brazil first came about in the early 1880s. At this time, Manaus was the centre of the rubber industry in Brazil, a source of income for most of the residents.

The industry brought wealth and led to a population increase in the 19^th century. By 1882, the funding of the building was provided and 2 years later the construction of the Amazon Rainforest started shortly.

8.Majority of the material used were imported

The decorations and other tools for construction of the interior and exterior were majority exported. The opera鈥檚 roofing tiles were imported from Alsace and the steel walls from Glasgow, Scotland.

The interior decorations of the Carrara marble for the stairs, statues and columns were imported from Italy. This was inspired by the Renaissance buildings that were constructed all across Europe centuries earlier.

In addition, the dome鈥檚 roofing tiles were imported from the Alsace region in eastern France and the steel used to support the building was imported from Glasgow, Scotland.

9.It was recently chosen as one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world

Photo by Sandra Soster ,

The interior decoration of the opera house is extremely beautiful and eye-catching. The interior is lavishly decorated with various sculptures and columns with 198 chandeliers.

The dome at the very top is one of the most impressive features of the theatre. It was recently chosen by the vogue magazine as one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world because of its sober and harmonious design.

The dome is decorated with over 36,000 ceramic tiles that feature the colors of the Brazilian flag.

10.The theatre is featured in various films and novels

In 1982, the theatre was featured in the filmFitzcarraldo that was directed by the German director Werner Herzog. The opera-obsessed character Brian Sweeney  Fitzgerald in the film makes his way by paddling his own boat to the opera house to hear Enrico Caruso sing in Verdi’s Ernani.

It is also featured twice in novels by Eva Ibboston:Journey to the River Sea  and A Company of Swans, in Ann Patchett’s 2011 novel, State of Wonder. In addition the film Pavarotti opens with Luciano Pavarotti traveling to the theatre in 1995 to replicate Caruso’s performance.

The opera house stands out in the city and is quite hard to miss it as one visits the city. The theatre is known to host the Amazonas Opera Festival, Amazonas Philharmonic Ochestra and various performances.