Neighborhood: Praça Dom Pedro II
The properties for sale are located high on a windy hill on the waterfront of Manaus in an elegant plaza that was the founding place of Manaus. The Praça Dom Pedro II served as the seat of government and influence for most of the history of the city. The properties are all within the protected Centro Histórico of Manaus where many colonial era and Belle Époque structures are being restored. The goal of the many projects underway is to restore this area to the ambiance of the Belle Époque of Manaus. When completed, citizens of Amazonas as well as international visitors will once again be able to enjoy the cool, green tranquility of the plaza and the elegance and sophistication of the founding days of Manaus.
Importantly, this plaza will be the site of the most important museums in the entire State of Amazonas. The plaza will be a center for the preservation of the history of Amazonas as well as the showcase of the vibrant culture of modern Amazonia. An added incentive for the restoration of the area is that some of the World Cup games will be held in Manaus in 2014 boosting the international visibility of this city already considered to be the gateway to the Amazon.
The center of many of the restoration projects is the Praça Dom Pedro II, the oldest public square in Manaus. Situated on the small peninsula called São Vincente, the neighborhood is surrounded by the waters of the Rio Negro and is cooled by breezes off the broad dark river. Around the plaza and the few nearby streets are some of the most historically important buildings from the Belle Époque.
Among these are the ornate 19th Century City Hall of Manaus which will open later this year as the Museu da Cidade Manaus, the most important museum in the entire State of Amazonas. Another ornate and lovely building is the Palácio Rio Branco, which is now the Centro Cultural and Museu Legislativa da Assembléia Amazonas. Nearby are a number of other restored buildings which include the Instituto Geografico Historico do Amazonas and the Comando Naval Marinha do Brasil. Here also is the oldest structure in all of Manaus, the Loja Maçônica, which dates from the colonial period of the Monarchy of Portugal.
Another building of note that is to be restored is the famous hotel of the Belle Époque, the Hotel Cassina. In the days of the rubber boom, as the most elegant hotel in Manaus, the Hotel Cassina was where the international traders in natural rubber sipped champagne and conducted commerce with Europe's industrial centers. Across the street is the newly restored Café Teatro which is the first municipal theater in Manaus and currently serves as a rotating art exhibition space. Opposite the theater is the former city council building, the Câmara Municipal de Manaus which will in the future be open to the public.
Reinforcing this area as the museum district of Manaus is the presence nearby of the Museu do Porto Manaus which through artifacts describes the fantastic growth of international trade through the rubber boom. Ocean going vessels from around the world came to Manaus laden with artists and ornate decorations and on leaving Manaus, the ships had their holds full of natural rubber.
Finally, the plaza itself, the Praça Dom Pedro II, is being restored and has a lovely 19th Century fountain, a musical performance kiosk, and botanical examples of many of the plants native to Amazonas including large rubber trees. The historical, architectural, and cultural riches of this neighborhood of Manaus will help make true again the once commonly spoken description of Manaus as the "Paris of the Tropics".
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