The Monument to the Azoreans (Portuguese: Monumento aos Açorianos) is a public art monument in full time exhibition in Porto Alegre, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in honor of the arrival of the first sixty Azorean couples that populated the city in 1752. It was inaugurated on March 26, 1974, in the city's 206th anniversary. The monument is 17 meters high and 24 meters wide.[1]
| Monument to the Azoreans | |
|---|---|
Monumento aos Açorianos | |
 | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Address | Av. Loureiro da Silva, 1155 |
| Town or city | Porto Alegre |
| Country | Brazil |
| Coordinates | 30°02′20″S 51°13′46″W / 30.03901°S 51.22955°W |
| Inaugurated | March 26, 1974 |
| Height | 17 m |
| Technical details | |
| Material | Steel |
| Size | 24 m |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Carlos Tenius |
| References | |
| [1] | |
This metallic sculpture is located in one of the most famous plazas in the city, the Azoreans' Plaza (Portuguese: Largo dos Açorianos), close to the State's administrative center. Built in 1973, made of steel and inspiried in futuristic aesthetic, it is an artwork created by the sculptor Carlos Tenius, and resembles a caravel, composed of intertwined human bodies and, in its front, a winged figure that resembles the mythological Greek character Icarus, representing the victory of reaching a new country having traveled through the sea.[1]
The monument has an inscription reading "Never would those Azorean couples have dreamt that, from the seed they had thrown to the soil, the splendor of this city would grow."[2]
Location
editThe official location of the Monument to the Azoreans is in the Azoreans' plaza, where the Stone Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte de Pedra), sometimes called Azores' Bridge (Portuguese: Ponte dos Açores), itself an important historical monument for the Brazilian history, is also located.[3] The plaza was originally built as part of the Guaíba lake embankment.[4]
Revitalization
editIn the middle of 2013 the monument was walled off by the city to protect it from vandalism.[5] In 2016, the first phase of the plaza's restoration was started.[6]
This monument's restoration was concluded in 2019, after 3 years of work. It included the revitalization of the plaza, as well a water mirror in two different levels connected by a small waterfall, plus a new illumination system.[7] In the same year, the Porto Alegre city council released a public notice for adoption of the sculpture.[8] The Order of Attorneys of Brazil adopted it, and committed to a 12-month term, with the possibility of a renewal when the term expires. In December 2020, the adoption was renewed for another year.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c "IBGE | Biblioteca | Detalhes | Monumento aos Açorianos : Porto Alegre, RS". biblioteca.ibge.gov.br. Retrieved March 4, 2021.
- ^ "Símbolo da Capital, Monumento aos Açorianos será restaurado" [Capital's symbol, the Monument to the Azoreans will be restored]. Zero Hora. September 16, 2010. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ Ramos, Eloísa Helena Capovilla da Luz; Oliveira, Luciana da Costa de (November 7, 2020). "Sobre história, memória e patrimônio no Sul do Brasil – monumentos aos açorianos em Porto Alegre e Florianópolis" [About history, memory and heritage in southern Brazil – monuments to Azoreans in Porto Alegre and Florianópolis]. Em Questão (in Portuguese). 26: 121–142. doi:10.19132/1808-5245260.121-142.
- ^ Loitzenbauer, E.; Kuzniecow Bacchin, T.; Gersonius, B.; Hilgefort, J. (November 20, 2012). "Linking the city and the lake: Guaíba waterfront, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil". FLOODrisk 2012: The 2nd European Conference on FLOODrisk Management "Science, Policy and Practice: Closing the Gap", Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 20–22 November 2012.
- ^ "Ação do MP. Monumento começa a ser cercado" [Public Ministry's action. Monument starts to be walled off]. Metro. June 4, 2013. Archived from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ Scarton, Suzy (August 15, 2016). "Obras do Monumento aos Açorianos na reta final" [Construction on the Monument to the Azoreans in the final stretch]. Jornal do Comércio. Archived from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ "Reforma do Largo dos Açorianos é inaugurada, e Prefeitura de Porto Alegre anuncia edital de adoção" [Construction of the Azoreans' Plaza is inaugurated, and Porto Alegre's City Hall announces adoption notice]. G1. August 22, 2019. Archived from the original on April 2, 2021. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ "Inscrições para adotar Largo dos Açorianos terminam nesta quarta" [Candidacies to adopt the Azoreans' Plaza end this Wednesday]. Correio do Povo. October 29, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ Farina, Jocimar (December 30, 2020). "Renovada a adoção do Largo dos Açorianos" [Renewed the Azoreans' Plaza adoption]. Zero Hora. Retrieved April 2, 2021.