Teatro Amazonas Opera House

• Much of the wealth of Manaus came from its days as the region's major port city during the rubber boom. 

• That era was also known for its beautiful architecture - and a fine example of that Belle Epoque style of the late 1800s is Manaus' opera house, the Teatro Amazonas.

• The Teatro Amazonas was built between 1884 and 1896 and is a showcase of furnishings imported from far-off places like France and Italy, including nearly 200 Italian chandeliers and a painted curtain from Paris. 

• The opera house's incredible dome is covered with 36,000 tiles painted in the colors of the Brazilian flag. 

• The first ever performance in the Teatro Amazonas was the opera "La Gioconda" in January of 1897.

• When the rubber boom dwindled, the theater lost its wealthy patrons and actually shut down for 90 years. 

• In 2001 the government invested millions in renovations, and today the 700-seat Teatro Amazonas is home to the Amazonas Philharmonic Orchestra and an annual Amazonas Opera Festival. 

• It is on the San Sebastian Square (Praça São Sebastião) in downtown Manaus, and visitors can either go on a guided tour of the theater when it's not in use, or consult the schedule to check out one of the many free performances.

Keywords: Teatro Amazonas Opera House

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