Tiradentes Square, Municipal cultural heritage square in Funcionários neighborhood, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Tiradentes Square is a square at the confluence of Avenida Afonso Pena and Avenida Brasil in the Funcionários neighbourhood. At its centre stands a bronze statue of Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, known as Tiradentes, six and a half metres tall and weighing 1,400 kilos, made by Antônio van der Weill and set on a new base on 5 January 1963. A station of line 3 of the Belo Horizonte metro is planned for the site.
The square opened on August 20, 1962, during the administration of Mayor Amintas de Barros. The Tiradentes monument was installed a year later, connecting this location to the history of an important figure in Brazil's independence struggle.
The square is named after Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, called Tiradentes, the martyr of the Inconfidência Mineira. Since 1995 the municipal urban cleaning service washes the bronze statue every 21 April, the date of his death. The square also serves as a stage for civic demonstrations, such as the 2010 student protest against political advertising boards.
The square lies at the junction of Avenida Afonso Pena and Avenida Brasil, in Funcionários, so it is reached on foot from the surrounding avenues. A station on line 3 of the Belo Horizonte metro is planned for the site. The bronze statue stands 6.5 metres tall and weighs 1,400 kilograms, so it is visible from a distance.
The square has hosted various protests over the years, including a notable demonstration where a seven-ton book of tax laws was displayed. These moments reveal how the space serves as a venue for civic expression.
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