State delivers the second phase of restoration works at Soledade Cemetery Park
Amid an educational and cultural program, a large audience witnessed the results of the project executed by Secult, Iphan, and UFPA
The second phase of Soledade Cemetery Park, in Belém, was delivered to the public on the morning of this Saturday (30), by the Government of Pará, through the State Secretariat of Culture (Secult). The work, executed in partnership with the National Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage (Iphan) and the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), included the restoration of 150 graves, mausoleums, and remaining spaces of two brotherhoods.
The delivery was part of the program for the Brazilian Cultural Heritage Week, promoted by Iphan, and was opened with a history lesson by Professor Michel Pinho, in addition to workshops with the team from the Conservation, Restoration, and Rehabilitation Laboratory (Lacore) at UFPA. The cultural part of the program, promoted by Secult, included a creative fair and a musical performance by the choro group Quinteto Caxangá.
“Soledade is part of a context of transformation in the city of Belém, and the commitment that the state government has been assuming in recent years is to recover the memory and restore our heritage. In 2023, we delivered the first phase of the work, with almost 130 restored mausoleums and graves. Now, there are another 150,” informed the Deputy Secretary of State for Culture, Bruno Chagas.
Heritage - The superintendent of Iphan in Pará, Cristina Vasconcelos, said that “our expectation with the delivery of this second phase is precisely that the population comes to visit the Park more and more. It is no longer just a cemetery. Here we talk about history, contextualization, and heritage. It is very important to understand our past, how this cemetery was constituted, why, for what, and for whom.” In this second phase, R$ 7 million were invested, transferred by Iphan.
The delivery of the work began at 10 am, with the presence of Bruno Chagas and Cristina Vasconcelos; the rector of UFPA, Gilmar Pereira da Silva; the coordinator of the second phase of the project, Alexandre Loureiro, and the director of the Foundation for Support and Development of Research (Fadesp), Roberto Barreto.
“It is a great joy this partnership of the state government with the University and Iphan. It is very representative. We bring in the technical part, with our Conservation and Restoration Laboratory, and the engineering courses present here. We are very happy that this space, which is a holy field because it is a cemetery, is also a space for visitation, for welcoming the community. I think it is an achievement for everyone; a legacy for the community of our State and, particularly, our city, and the University is very happy to be able to contribute and be available to continue contributing,” said rector Gilmar Pereira da Silva.
Historical formation - The sunny morning allowed dozens of people to take the opportunity to get to know the Park, a space already much frequented, both for religious reasons and for tourism and leisure.
“The delivery of the second phase is fundamental because it returns to society what is most dear to it, which is historical formation and also the formation of the city. This only reaffirms the need for us to invest more and more in culture and preservation. Holding a public class at Soledade Cemetery is a challenge because people usually cannot associate their identity with the historical formation of a cemetery. In fact, it is the opposite. Thinking about these rites, about these traditions, only reinforces our need to study,” emphasized Professor and historian Michel Pinho.
Student Ana Carolina Bordallo, who is preparing for the entrance exam, attended Michel Pinho's class and took the opportunity to get to know the space. “I had never visited, but I passed by here and found it very interesting. I am from Ananindeua (a municipality in the Metropolitan Region), and I don't know many places in Belém. I have a lot of interest in the historical part. I have thought about majoring in History, and I found the style, the art, and the culture here very cool. The socioeconomic difference from one side to the other caught my attention, the simpler part compared to these fancy mausoleums. That was the first thing I noticed. The restoration turned out very nice,” said the student.
Since the opening of Soledade Cemetery Park in 2023, the first museum cemetery in Pará, Secult has promoted a series of activities at the site, maintaining full operation, including the "A Night at the Museum" Project.
Text: Juliana Amaral - Ascom/Secult
