Rio City Hall reopens Catacumba Park to the public after renovation that restored sculptures and created a gym for seniors

^{The Rio City Hall, through the Municipal Secretariat for the Environment, reopened this Sunday, December 20th, the Catacumba Municipal Natural Park, in Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, after 12 months of work for a complete renovation that included the restoration of the 6 sculptures on permanent display in the park.}

 ^{The Secretary of the Environment, Bernardo Egas, and the president of the Instituto Carioca Cidade Criativa, Heitor Wegmann, responsible for the works, participated in a task force to paint the fences surrounding the park and announced the reopening of the space to the public.}

 ^{– Catacumba Park is the best example in Rio of the synergy between environment and culture. With the restoration of all the park’s sculptures and other improvements, we can now deliver this great gift to the people of Rio, which was only possible thanks to a partnership with the Instituto Carioca Cidade Criativa, highlighted the Municipal Secretary of Environment, Bernardo Egas.}

 ^{During the event, the president of the Instituto Carioca Cidade Criativa highlighted the importance of revitalizing the site for Rio de Janeiro society.}

^{– We believe that the partnership between society and the government is essential for the preservation of public heritage. Proof of this is the implementation of this project to completely revitalize the Catacumba, which was possible thanks to the raising of funds through laws that encourage culture and the ISS, stated Heitor Wegmann.}

^{Complete restoration}

^{The renovation of the Catacumba included the restoration of 32 sculptures, the replacement of all the furniture, the revitalization of the landscaping, the waterproofing of the roof and the restoration of the façade of the headquarters, the modernization of the children's playground and the creation of a gym for the elderly, in addition to new signs for the park.}

^{In addition to enhancing the details of the works by sanitizing and cleaning them to remove years of dirt, the restoration work on the sculptures focused on reconstituting part of the works damaged by cracks and fissures due to rust oxidation, using prosthetics and mortars compatible with the same material originally used by the authors of the works.}

^{With the restoration, the works of art have been given priority in the distribution of new furniture in the park. The 39 new benches were placed primarily close to the sculptures to make it easier for visitors to contemplate them. In addition, all the works will have identification plaques with QR Codes, to deepen knowledge about the history of the sculpture and its creator.}

^{The park's new signage, made on PVC sheets and fixed to concrete totems, indicates the trail's path and informs at 15 points the distance covered, how far it remains until the end, and the altitude at the marked point.}

^{Landscaping was also included in the revitalization of the park, with the recovery of the original lawn design in the public use areas, and the identification of fruit trees and natural species existing in the park.}

^{The Catacumba Park covers an area of ​​26,5 hectares with two viewpoints, five squares for nature contemplation and socializing, a bird observatory, and an area for zip-lining and tree climbing. The trail leads to the Sacopã and Pedra do Urubu viewpoints. There, visitors can marvel at the views of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Pedra da Gávea and Corcovado.}

^{Cultural space}

^{The history of the park is originally associated with the removal of the Catacumba favela, which occupied the steep slopes of the hill, in the early 1970s. The area was reforested and the park was created in the late 70s. From the beginning, the conservation unit became an open-air museum with the spontaneous donations of monumental sculptures by various artists, such as Evandro Carneiro, Edgar Duvivier, Bruno Giorgi, Mario Cravo, and Roberto Moriconi. The most recent work donated is the “Monumental Sculpture for the 2014 World Cup” by Carlos Muniz, which celebrates the hosting of the World Cup in Brazil.}

^{One of the highlights of the collection is the work of Alfredo Ceschatti, one of the main sculptors of the construction of Brasília. Evangelista Mateus, a 1968 work, measuring 3 meters in height, served as a mold for the creation of one of the characters of the Four Evangelists – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – a bronze work that adorns the entrance to the Brasília Cathedral. He is also responsible for A Justiça, a granite sculpture in front of the Supreme Federal Court (STF) building, and As Iaras, a bronze sculpture in the reflecting pool of the Palácio da Alvorada, among others.}

^{The Catacumba Park's vocation to be an open-air museum was consolidated in the early 1980s, with the construction of the park's headquarters, named Pavilhão Victor Brecheret, in homage to the Italian-Brazilian sculptor, considered one of the most important in Brazil and responsible for introducing modernism into Brazilian culture and sculpture, who died in 1955.}

^{The park gained visibility with the hosting of music concerts featuring international artists, including a performance by American guitarist Stanley Jordan in 1986, which attracted 12 people, a record attendance for the venue. Jordan himself would later comment that this was the most memorable concert he had ever performed in Brazil.}

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December 20, 2020

Appointments: environment Nature reform