Cidade Velha

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Cidade Velha (Portuguese for "old city"), or simply Sidadi in Cape Verdean Creole, is a town located 15 km from Praia (Cape Verde's capital) on Santiago. It is the oldest settlement in Cape Verde and used to serve as the capital of Cape Verde. Once called Ribeira Grande, its name was changed to Cidade Velha so to avoid confusion with another Ribeira Grande on another island.

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[edit] History

Cidade Velha.
Cidade Velha.

The island was discovered and named Ribeira Grande (Portuguese for large river) by António da Noli,in 1462. In 1466, the settelment became an important port for trading slaves.

Slaves from Guinea-Bissau and from Sierra Leone were shipped from Cidade Velha to Brazil and the Caribbean.

Cidade Velha's port was a stopping place for two great navigators: Vasco of Gamma, in 1497, on his way to India, and Christopher Columbus, in 1498, while on his third voyage to the Americas.

Cidade Velha has the oldest colonial church in the world, constructed in 1495. The fort (called Forte Real de São Filipe) that dominates the town from 120 metres of altitude, was constructed in 1590 to defend the Portuguese colony from the attacks of the Frenchmen and English.

Today, Cidade Velha is a small fishing village with a population of 2,337.

[edit] Nearest communities

Pelourinho, Cidade Velha
Pelourinho, Cidade Velha

[edit] Sites of interests

  • Pelourinho - Located in a square praça and has the history of slavery in Ribeira Grande dating back to 1513. It was first raised in 1520.
  • Fort Real de São Filipe, constructed in 1590 was a fort which was built for attacking pirates and defending the Portuguese colony from French and theEnglish. The elevation is at 120 m above sea level.

[edit] Other

Cidade Velha has schools, a middle school, churches, banks and a few squares praças. The nearest secondary school is in Santa Maria.

[edit] External links

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