Theatre Santa Roza is one of the oldest theatres in Brazil. The foundation stone was laid on 2 August 1873, though it wasn’t finished until 1889 due to lack of funds. The theatre is still in regular use for drama, dance,opera,concerts, as a cinema and for meetings. It was taken over by the Prefeitura in 2008. The building was redecorated and fitted with new air-conditioning and seating, maintaining its original capacity of 418 people. It retains the side wall box seating up to the second floor, as well as the original German pine cladding. It was here, in 1929, that the name of the city was changed to João Pessoa. Uniquely, it retains many of its original features and, thereby, its charm. It is open most days and it is free to go in and walk around. It also has its own gardens to relax in and one of them has a fountain.

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