Sights in Belém
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Casa das Onze Janelas
Once the home of a sugar baron, then a military hospital, the Casa das Onze Janelas now houses an excellent art gallery and one of Belém’s finest restaurants, Boteco das Onze. The medium-sized gallery contains a mix of classical and modern artwork, plus a good photography exhibit upstairs. The café in back has a view of the mouth of the Amazon.
reviewed
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Mercado Ver-o-Peso
A symbol of the city, this waterfront market's name comes from colonial times, when the Portuguese would ver o peso (check the weight) of merchandise in order to impose taxes. The market's four-turreted iron structure is known, aptly enough, as the Mercado do Ferro. It was brought over in parts from Britain, and assembled and inaugurated in 1901. A profile of the turrets is commonly used as a symbol of Belém.
The four-turreted iron structure inside the market (visible from well outside of it) is known as the Mercado do Ferro. It was brought over in parts from Britain, and assembled and inaugurated in 1901. A profile of the turrets is commonly used as a symbol of Belém.
reviewed
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Estação das Docas
An ambitious renovation project converted three down-at-heel riverfront warehouses into a terrific commercial and gathering center. Estação das Docas has restaurants, artsy shops, a small theater, plus a post office and ATMs. There are also interesting displays, in Portuguese and English, about the founding of Belém and the growth and importance of the shipping trade here. The waterfront promenade is lined with attractive yellow cranes, further reminders of Belém’s port-town roots, and outdoor tables with great lunchtime views. There’s live music most nights, performed from a moving platform up in the rafters, slowly rolling the length of the dining area.
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Museo do Círio
From the discovery of a tiny statue of Mary in a riverbank in 1700, to idiosyncrasies of the massive procession of today, the handsome new Círio Museum breaks down Belém’s famous religious festival, the Círio de Nazaré. There’s the story of how, in 1855, a rope was used to steady the statue’s carriage, and has since become an integral part of the march, with the faithful jostling for a chance to pull or touch it. The rope was banned by the church for being ‘unsanctified,’ then brought back by public demand. It’s grown along with the festival – at last measure, it was 400m long and weighed over a thousand pounds. Explanations are in Portuguese only.
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Palácio Antonio Lemos & MABE
This rubber-boom palace served as the city hall between 1860 and 1883. By the early 1990s the palace was virtually abandoned, with animals roaming around inside, but it underwent renovation and once again houses the municipal government headquarters as well as the Museo de Arte de Belém (MABE).
Constructed in the Brazilian imperial style, the building has a grand central staircase of Portuguese marble. The museum upstairs has gorgeous wood floors - cloth slippers are provided at the entrance - and a fine collection of Brazilian 20th-century paintings, including Cândido Portinari's 1957 oil Seringal.
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Museu de Arte Sacra
The Museu de Arte Sacra consists of the impressive Igreja do Santo Alexandre and the adjoining Palâcio Episcopal (Bishop’s Palace). Santo Alexandre was Belém’s first church, founded by Jesuits in the early 17th century. Impressive in size alone, the church nave also contains brilliant sculpture and detailing, virtually all done by indentured índios using plaster and local red cedar. The rambling Bishop’s Palace has a decent collection of modern art and installation pieces, plus a café and gift shop.
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Teatro da Paz
One of Belém’s finest buildings, the Teatro da Paz was built between 1869 and 1874 overlooking Praça da República. Built in neoclassical style, the architecture has all the sumptuous trappings of the rubber-boom era: columns, busts, crystal mirrors and an interior decorated in Italian theatrical style. Half-hour guided tours (R$4, free on Wednesday) are offered hourly from 9am to 1pm Tuesday to Friday, and 9am to noon on Saturday.
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Mercado Ver-o-Peso
A symbol of the city, the name of this waterfront market comes from colonial times, when the Portuguese would ver o peso (check the weight) of merchandise in order to impose taxes. The market’s four-turreted iron structure is known, aptly enough, as the Mercado do Ferro. It was brought over in parts from Britain, and assembled and inaugurated in 1901. A profile of the turrets is commonly used as a symbol of Belém.
reviewed
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Basilica Santuario de Nazaré
A bit humdrum from the outside, the Basilica Santuario de Nazaré has a truly spectacular interior, with soaring marble columns, brilliant stained-glass windows and ornate wood and tile work in every direction, even the ceiling, with faces peering straight down. The basilica is the focal point of Brazil’s largest religious festival, Círio de Nazaré, which draws more than a million worshippers to Belém every October.
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Forte do Presépio
The city of Belém was founded in 1616 with the construction of the Forte do Presépio, which was intended to protect Portuguese interests upriver against incursions by the French and Dutch. Today it houses a small but excellent museum, primarily about Pará’s indigenous communities (displays in Portuguese only). There are great views of the city and Amazon River from atop the fort’s thick stone walls.
reviewed
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Catedral da Sé
It took a while, but the restoration of Belém’s cathedral was worth it. After years of slow, sad decline, the historic cathedral now radiates inside and out. The exterior gleams a brilliant white, while the soaring interior has polished marble floors and intricate geometric designs on the walls and ceiling, and oversized paintings of the Virgin Mary and other saints in ornate gold-encrusted frames.
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Museu de Arte de Belém
The Palácio Antonio Lemos & MABE houses the Museu de Arte de Belém. The museum has gorgeous wood floors – cloth slippers are provided at the entrance – and a fine collection of Brazilian 20th-century paintings, including Cândido Portinari’s 1957 oil Seringal. It has been closed for restoration for some time, but should reopen soon, better than ever.
reviewed
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Forte do Castelo
Founded in 1616, Forte do Castelo was intended to protect Portuguese interests upriver against incursions by the French and Dutch. Today it houses a small but excellent museum, primarily about Parás indigenous communities. There are great views of the city and Amazon river from atop the fort's thick stone walls.
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Catedral da Sé
Belém's cathedral is a 1750s colonial baroque-cum-neoclassical construction by Antônio Landi. The cathedral's twin-towered main facade has long outshined the rather bland interior, but a major renovation (which was still underway at the time of research) is sure to help even the score.
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Museu do Índio do Pará
More a gallery than a museum – for now – the Pará Índio Museum has a small but rich collection of artifacts from most of Pará’s 30-plus indigenous groups. Ceremonial costumes, hunting tools, and other items are displayed in a huge converted warehouse near the historic Mercado do Ferro.
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Museu Emílio Goeldi & Parque Zoobotánico
This excellent museum and zoo contains many Amazonian animal species, from manatees and anacondas to jaguars and giant otters, plus an aviary, aquarium and excellent permanent exhibit of artifacts from ancient Amazonian peoples. It’s popular with families on Sundays.
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Museu do Estado do Pará
The Palácio Lauro Sodré is the home of the Museu do Estado do Pará, a mildly interesting collection on the founding and growth of Belém and Pará.
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