Amazon rainforest (2011-04-15) by Neil Palmer/CIATThe CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA)
When you think of the Amazon, opera is not necessarily one of the things that comes to mind. But this colossal rainforest is home to one of the most unique and iconic opera houses on the planet. Let's take a closer 3D look at the legendary Amazon Theater in Manaus.
Amazon Theater
The Amazon Theater is more than 120 years old and was constructed during the rubber boom that saw Manaus transform from a small regional outpost into a vast and wealthy metropolis. Today, it is Brazil's seventh largest city and home to more than 2 million people.
Constructed during the Belle Epoque boom times, the theater was first proposed in 1881 to become a jewel in the heart of the rainforest. Work was directed by Italian architect Celestial S. Sacardim, starting in 1884 and taking 15 years to complete.
The theater opened its doors to the public for the first time on 7 January 1897 for a performance of the Italian opera La Giaconda by Amilcare Ponchielli.
The theater was designed and built in the renaissance revivalist style. But materials were not easy to source. The roof tiles came from Alsace in France. Steel for the walls came from Scotland, and the marble for floors and stairs came from Italy.
The domed roof is covered with more than 36,000 ceramic tiles painted in yellow, green, and blue - the colors of the Brazilian flag. In fact, it was during the build phase that Brazil became a republic in 1889.
More unique Amazonian architecture.
Amazon Theater
The building's exterior was changed from pink to blue in 1929, then to grey in the early 1970s to match the decreed colour for all public buildings laid down by the governing military junta. It was restored to its original pink in 1990 following a public ballot.
For more than 70 years, the theater did not host a performance, though it did make a cameo appearance in the opening scene of Werner Herzog’s movie Fitzcarraldo.
Only in the late 1990s did it start to stage concerts again regularly and extensive renovation work has been carried out since. Today, there is a busy schedule of performances on several nights each week, with a diverse range of music to enjoy.
Manaus, Brazil (2002-07-16) by NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science TeamNASA
Want to discover more of the Amazon?
You can find out more about the world's greatest river here.
