Located on Sete de Setembro Avenue, in front of the Provincial Palace and close to Dom Pedro II College, the square has an area of 8,515 m².
History of Heliodoro Balbi Square
Praça Heliodoro Balbi has a particularity in the geographical and urban landscape of the city of Manaus. Before being organized as a public street, around the old Military Regiment and by the building of the Dom Pedro II Gymnasium, it was just another piece of land for people to walk around, a huge area with nothing attractive.
Its construction and landscaping started in 1906 when the Mayor of Manaus was the colonel and commander of the Military Police, Adolpho Guilherme de Miranda Lisboa. It was inaugurated on June 23, 1907, the anniversary day of the Government of Constantino Nery, with the presence of authorities and popular people.
This square was marked by artistic presentations, especially by the group of intellectuals entitled Clube da Madrugada, created in 1954. The Clube da Madrugada group was responsible for bringing Amazonian culture and art, where they gathered under the Mulateiro tree to discuss the reflections brought by Modernism of 1920. To this day, the square contains a landmark in honor of the Club.
In addition to these names, the space has been called Praça da Constitution, Praça Gonçalves Ledo and Praça Roosevelt, until reaching the name Heliodoro Balbi, in honor of an Amazonian speaker.
Architecture of the square
As usual, the square followed the European line in its layout, especially the French. The gardens are unique, making the place one of the most tree-lined in the city center, in addition to having an iron pavilion erected on the base of stone masonry, artificial lakes cut by a reinforced concrete bridge, a cave with a waterfall, cast iron and several iron statuettes.
The sculptures are also made of iron, such as Diana the Huntress, the monument Cão e Boar, Hermes and Ninfa all brought from France. All sculptures represent hunting, a theme that was widely used in France in the 19th century.
In the space of Praça Heliodoro Balbi there are cultural circus presentations, musical shows, concerts and several other events of an Amazonian or National character, in addition to having the historic café, Café do Pina.
Who was Heliodoro Balbi
Heliodoro Balbi was an Amazonian born on February 12, 1876, he was a professor at the former Ginásio Amazonense and graduated in Law from the Faculty of Pernambuco, worked in journalism, as well as being a poet and columnist.
He died in the state of Acre, on November 26, 1918, however, he was buried in the São João Batista Cemetery.
In addition to the Heliodoro Balbi Square, you can explore the Amazonian nature through one of our nautical packages or our exclusive boats. Access the RBarcos platform, choose the ideal package for your tour and experience a magical experience in the Amazon.
