The Commander of the 4th Naval District, Vice-Admiral Antônio Capistrano de Freitas Filho, received the Vice-Governor of Pará, Hana Ghassan Tuma, on February 20, for a meeting in which they discussed, among other matters, the recovery of the Corvette-Museum “Solimões”, to once again hold an exhibition and receive public visits at the Feliz Lusitânia Complex, in the Cidade Velha neighborhood, in Belém (PA).
The Corveta-Museu Solimões is the first museum ship in the North region and began to receive the public after an agreement signed in 2004 between the Brazilian Navy (MB) and the State Secretariat of Culture, receiving around 30 thousand visitors per annum.
In December 2019, the ship was transferred to the Val de Cães Naval Base, where it underwent structural recovery and restoration of its general conditions, works made possible by resources designated by the Naval Operations Command and by an amendment to the budget proposed by Senator Jader Barbalho .
Despite the works already carried out, there are still pending issues to be resolved and, therefore, MB requested support from the Vice-Governor in carrying out the latest renovations in the exhibition and visitor area, which will make the Corvette ready to receive the public.
Vice Admiral Capistrano highlighted the importance of Belém having this cultural attraction. “The “Solimões” Corvette-Museum will turn 70 years old in November 2024 and its return to the Casa das Onze Janelas pier will be a great gift for the people of Pará.”
Large cities around the world, such as New York, Rio de Janeiro and Baltimore, have warships repurposed to serve as museums. These floating cultural spaces represent their maritime histories and their people’s vocation for navigation.
The Navy intends, with the support of the Government of the State of Pará, to have the ship ready in time to receive visitors at the Círio de Nazaré festival, in October this year, and also to be a special attraction for the thousands of people who will be at the It stops during COP-30.