São Roque (Funchal)

São Roque is a civil parish in the northern part of the municipality of Funchal in the archipelago of Madeira. In 2001, the population was 9274, in the foothills of the central mountain range (and area of 7.52 km²), located north of Funchal and south-southwest of the parish of Faial (Santana).

History

The lands associated with São Roque were once part of a much larger parish of Sé, but later, for a short period it was part of São Pedro. The eccliastical parish of São Roque was dismembered from São Pedro and neighboring São Martinho by Cardinal Infante Henrique on 3 March 1579. The Cardinal authorized the prelate of Funchal to create a new parish within the dominion of Sé. This was instituted with its parish seat at the ancient chapel of São Roque, constructed by the residents at the beginning of the 16th century, probably from local funds collected by Funchal's citizens (Saint Roch was the patron saint of Funchal protecting them from the plague, during the early part of the 16th century).

The small chapel provided its name to a church later erected in 1704, not far from the original building (which remains standing, and is referred to locally as the Igreja Velha, or small church, in Portuguese). But, during the construction there were budgetary deficits, resulting in a slow building process, that eventually resulted in the building's ruin by 1790. A newer church, chiefed by engineer António Vila Vicêncio, was later erected; its main construction continued until 1820, but was finally completed in the middle of the 19th century.

Geography

São Roque is connected by regional roadway with Monte, Funchal and Faial, and towards São Martinho and northwest to Curral das Freiras. The mountains lie to the north and forests mainly of laurisilva about 1.5 km north and further north, grasslands. São Roque is surrounded by two ravines, one that is closer to the east and the other is further to the west. São Roque is not connected with the urban sprawl of Funchal, but developed from the concentration of agricultural use lands, developing into a suburban nucleus later. This includes several of its localities, which were formed from rural concentrations, and developed into residential booroughs by the 20th century: Achada, Muro da Coelha, Conceição, Fundoa, Igreja Velha, Calhau, Igreja Nova, Alegria, Bugiaria, Lombo Segundo, Lombo de São João and Santana.

São Roque has a school, a lyceum, a gymnasia, a church and a square ({{lang-pt|praça).

Economy

Until the mid-20th century, the region was primarily agricultural, but the southern limits of the parish have now been developed extensively towards the foothills of the central mountain range.