| Covoada | ||
| Civil Parish (Freguesia) | ||
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| Official name: Freguesia da Covoada | ||
| Name origin: covoada, Portuguese for full of holes or pitted | ||
| Country | Portugal | |
|---|---|---|
| Autonomous Region | Azores | |
| Group | Central | |
| Island | São Miguel | |
| Municipality | Ponta Delgada | |
| Localities | Covoada, Nossa Senhora da Graça, Pavões | |
| Center | Covoada | |
| - elevation | 334 m (1,096 ft) | |
| - coordinates | ||
| Highest point | Lagoa do Peixe | |
| - location | Serra Devassa, Covoada, Ponta Delgada | |
| - elevation | 708.73 m (2,325 ft) | |
| - coordinates | ||
| Lowest point | Grota do Contador | |
| - elevation | 146.31 m (480 ft) | |
| - coordinates | ||
| Length | 7.31 km (5 mi), Northwest-Southeast | |
| Width | 2.27 km (1 mi), Southwest-Northeast | |
| Area | 9.03 km2 (3 sq mi) | |
| - land | 8.61 km2 (3 sq mi) | |
| - water | .01 km2 (0 sq mi) | |
| - urban | .41 km2 (0 sq mi) | |
| Population | 1,259 (2001) | |
| Density | 139.42 / km2 (361 / sq mi) | |
| LAU | Freguesia/Junta Freguesia | |
| - location | Avenida 6 de Janeiro, Covoada, Ponta Delgada | |
| President Junta | Maria do Rosário Rodrigues V. C. Aragão | |
| Timezone | Azores (UTC-1) | |
| - summer (DST) | Azores (UTC0) | |
| ISO 3166-2 code | PT- | |
| Postal Zone | 9500-406 Covoada | |
| Area Code & Prefix | (+351) 292 XXX-XXXX | |
| Demonym | Micalense | |
| Patron Saint | Nossa Senhora da Ajuda | |
| Parish Address | Avenida 6 de Janeiro 9500-406 Covoada |
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| Wikimedia Commons: Covoada (Ponta Delgada) | ||
| Statistics from INE (2001); geographic detail from Instituto Geográfico Português (2010) | ||
Covoada is a civil parish in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel in the Azores. The population was 1259 (2001), dispersed in an area is 9.03 km², extending from the Sete Cidades Massif to the urban communities of Ponta Delgada (a density of approximately 139.42/km²).
The parochial church, Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, dates back to the construction of a chapel in 16th Century by Captain Gaspar de Medeiros the Older (its copula was paid for by the Santa Casa de Misercórdia of Ponta Delgada).
During the early settlement of São Miguel, from about 1846, this area pertained to the parish of Arrifes, passing to the territory of Relva later, until its numbers warranted the creation of a new entity.
On March 2, 1958 the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda was destroyed in a violent fire; its retable and the image of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda were lost. In ashes of the temple, the residents were able to save a few books and documents, and an image of the Virgin Mary that was located in the baptistery. This image was transferred to the Seminary of Sr. Santo Cristo, in Ponta Delgada, were it today remains. During the reconstruction of the new church, in the latter part of the 20th Century, the temple received a new bell tower. The Livro de Tombo from the Church of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda indicated the necessity to provide an independent religious parish to the faith community on October 28, 1977.
Many years later, it was de-annexed from Relva on September 15, 1980, under Regional Decree 24/80/A.
Covoada is a slender tract of land between the parishes of Relva and Arrifes that includes prime agricultural and pasturelands, intersperesed with mountainous terrains covered in partial forest and scrub-brush. It is limitd to an area from Capelas (in the north) to Relva and Arrifes (in the southwest and southeast respectively), and includes basin of the Serra Devassa, that includes Pico do Paúl, Pico Amêndoa, Pico Rochão, Pico das Maias and the Ladeira do Ledo. The available land has allowed the development of agriculture; cattle and dairy farming are the primary industrial sectors.
Located on the central part of the municipality, many of the principal agricultural roadways linking the northern and southern communities of Ponta Delgada pass through the parish, while the communities are connected via the Regional E.R.1-1ª Road to Relva, Arrifes, the parishes of the city of Ponta Delgada and Feteiras. Covoada has a school, a church and a square (praça).