Manaus historical Belle Époque underground gallery to open to public

The Casarão de Ideias cultural center in Manaus will open a historical underground gallery, known as the ‘Galeria dos Ingleses’, for free public visitation this Friday. The discovery was made during restoration works on the building, which previously housed the Escola Estadual Saldanha Marinho.

The structure is 40 meters long, two meters high, and two meters wide. Built with solid red ceramic bricks and a lime and washed sand mortar, the gallery features arches and vaults designed to distribute the weight of the street and traffic above without the need for support beams. The construction technique was specifically intended to resist the high humidity and water pressure of the Amazonian soil.

In addition to the tunnel itself, the exhibition will include artifacts recovered during the restoration, such as clay pipes, metal pieces, and antique bottles from the 1940s left behind by former students and staff. The opening coincides with the celebrations for the anniversary of Manaus.