Heritage Week opens in Belém, highlighting the delivery of Soledade this Saturday (30)

With the theme "The city of COP and cultural heritage: what, how, and for whom?", Heritage Week was opened this Friday (29) at Sesc Ver-o-Peso in Belém. The event marked the official start of the program promoted by the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage (Iphan), which includes the delivery of the second phase of the restoration of the Soledade Cemetery Park this Saturday (30).

The work on Soledade was carried out by the Federal University of Pará (UFPA) through the Laboratory of Conservation, Restoration, and Rehabilitation (Lacore), with resources of R$ 7 million allocated by Iphan. In this phase, 150 graves, mausoleums, and remnants of two brotherhoods were restored, in addition to the chapel's portico and the preventive conservation of previously recovered equipment.

The State Secretary of Culture (Secult), which manages the space, acted as a partner in the project. In the first phase of the restoration, between 2021 and 2023, Secult allocated about R$ 16 million in its own resources to the work, which enabled the recovery of 126 structures of mortuary architecture, including graves, mausoleums, and the cross, as well as the opening of a new entrance to the space.

"The preservation of heritage is not just about buildings, spaces, and memories, but also about ways of life, knowledge, and cultural practices that need to be safeguarded to ensure a fairer future for our territories. With this delivery of Soledade, we have a unique opportunity: to reaffirm the Amazon as a protagonist, showing the world that economic and social development can be deeply linked to our sociobiodiversity, cultural traditions, and community participation," emphasized the State Secretary of Culture, Ursula Vidal.

The superintendent of Iphan in Pará, Cristina Vasconcelos, highlighted the importance of the delivery for the historical legacy of the city. "Soledade is a landmark in the center of Belém and tells stories not only of the structuring of the city at that time but also of how the capital went through a public health period. We understand that the space has great relevance in various links of the historical contextualization of Belém. This is another delivery of a highly preserved heritage so that the population understands who we are and where we came from," she stated.

Program

After the morning opening, Heritage Week continues with a guided tour of the vessel found during the works of the Doca Linear Park on Friday afternoon. On Saturday (30), the agenda starts at 8 am with the delivery of the second phase of the Soledade Cemetery Park, accompanied by a creative fair, musical performances, heritage education workshops, and an exhibition class with historian Michel Pinho.

On Sunday (31), the program concludes with the route "Belém Black City: Territory of Afro-Brazilian Memories," which departs from the Escadinha do Cais do Porto towards the Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of Black Men.

With the theme "Social Participation, Territories, and Sustainability," Heritage Day was celebrated on August 17, a date that honors the founder of Iphan, Rodrigo Melo Franco de Andrade.

The Doca Vessel

Discovered during the excavations of the Doca Linear Park, the vessel measures almost 30 meters and dates back to the mid-19th century. According to Iphan, it is of probable North American origin and would have left New York heading for South America but was abandoned due to high operating costs.

The find occurred in the area of the old Igarapé das Almas, a strategic point for the circulation of vessels used in trade and the transport of goods at the time. Currently, the vessel is housed in an area very close to where it was found, where the restoration laboratory operates.

Text: Painah Silva (Ascom Secult)