At the beginning of the 20th century and during its first three decades,
Ribeirão Preto was a rich city, boasting several mansions, European-style
cafés, cabarets and even two opera houses. One of the opera houses - the Carlos Gomes Theatre (in honour of
Brazilian opera composer Carlos Gomes) - was demolished in 1949 but the other -
the "Pedro II Theatre" (named in honor of Emperor Dom Pedro II),
dating from the 1920s - resisted time and was restored and modernized during
the 1990s. Its ceiling, completely destroyed in a fire of 1980, was rebuilt and
gained a new
