Santa Rosa Theater, Neoclassical theater in João Pessoa, Brazil
Santa Rosa Theater is a neoclassical building on Pedro Américo Square in the center of João Pessoa, Brazil. Its walls are made of limestone and the interior is finished with Riga pine wood, giving the hall a warm wooden feel throughout.
The theatre opened on 3 November 1889, named after Francisco da Gama Roza, president of Paraíba, twelve days before the Republic was proclaimed. After the Republic, governor Venâncio Neiva renamed it Teatro do Estado, a change later revoked. In 1930 the state legislature met here and renamed the capital from Parahyba to João Pessoa by decree no. 700.
The theatre's name honours Francisco da Gama Roza, president of Paraíba when it opened in 1889. In an assembly held here, the Paraíba flag was designed with its black and red colours and the word "NEGO". On 4 September 1930, a session of the state legislature in this building changed the capital's name from Parahyba to João Pessoa by decree no. 700.
The theater sits on Pedro Américo Square in the city center and is easy to reach on foot from most downtown spots. It is worth checking the program ahead of time, as the schedule changes with the season.
Local stories claim that two ghosts haunt the building, said to have appeared after a performance accident in 1900. These tales are still told among residents today and have become part of the oral tradition surrounding the theater.
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