Santo Espírito
| Santo Espírito | ||
| Civil Parish (Freguesia) | ||
 The Gonçalo Velho Lighthouse, the main ex-libris of the village of Maia, and the parish of Santo Espírito | ||
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| Official name: Freguesia do Santo Espírito | ||
| Name origin: santo espírito, Portuguese for holy spirit | ||
| Country |  Portugal | |
|---|---|---|
| Autonomous Region |  Azores | |
| Group | Central | |
| Island | Santa Maria | |
| Municipality | Vila do Porto | |
| Localities | Almas, Azenha de Baixo, Azenha de Cima, Boavista, Cardal, Calheta, Cruz, Feteirinha, Fonte do Jordão, Glória, Lapa de Baixo, Lapa de Cima, Loural, Maia, Malbusca, Meio Moio, Panasco, Piedade, Santo António, Santo Espírito, Terra do Raposo | |
| Landmark | Gonçalo Velho Lighthouse | |
| Center | Santo Espírito | |
| - elevation | 311 m (1,020 ft) | |
| - coordinates | 36°57′21″N 25°2′29″W / 36.95583°N 25.04139°W | |
| Highest point | Cavacas | |
| - elevation | 494.72 m (1,623 ft) | |
| - coordinates | 36°57′32″N 25°4′29″W / 36.95889°N 25.07472°W | |
| Lowest point | Sea level | |
| - location | Atlantic Ocean | |
| - elevation | 0 m (0 ft) | |
| Length | 7.20 km (4 mi), Northwest-Southeast | |
| Width | 6.39 km (4 mi), Southwest-Northeast | |
| Area | 26.68 km2 (10 sq mi) | |
| - land | 25.86 km2 (10 sq mi) | |
| - urban | .82 km2 (0 sq mi) | |
| Population | 723 (2001) | |
| LAU | Freguesia/Junta Freguesia | |
| - location | Termo da Igreja, Santo Esírito, Vila do Porto | |
| - elevation | 310 m (1,017 ft) | |
| - coordinates | 36°57′22″N 25°2′27″W / 36.95611°N 25.04083°W | |
| President Junta | Alberto José de Loura Chaves | |
| President Assembleia | José António Tavares Sousa | |
| Timezone | Azores (UTC-1) | |
| - summer (DST) | Azores (UTC0) | |
| ISO 3166-2 code | PT- | |
| Postal Zone | 9580-238 Santo Espírito | |
| Area Code & Prefix | (+351) 292 XXX-XXXX | |
| Demonym | Mariense | |
| Patron Saint | Nossa Senhora da Purificação | |
| Parish Address | Termo da Igreja 9580-238 Santo Espírito | |
 Location of the civil parish of Santo Espírito within the municipality of Vila do Porto
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| Wikimedia Commons: Santo Espírito (Vila do Porto) | ||
| Statistics from INE (2001); geographic detail from Instituto Geográfico Português (2010) | ||
Santo Espírito (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsɐ̃tu ɨʃˈpiɾitu]) is a Portuguese civil parish, located in the municipality of Vila do Porto, in the autonomous region of Azores. It has a population of 723 inhabitants and a total area of 26.65 km². The economy of the parish is based on agriculture. It is connected with a road linking to Vila do Porto.
Geography
The parish borders the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east, and it is the largest parish by area covering an expanse of hills, mounts and vegetation-rich escarpments. It is the third most populated in the municipality of Vila do Porto, but its rural communities are very dispersed. Until recently most communities were limited to dirt-road paths and trails to connect them. It is now served by the regional road network, circling the island, and most rural communities have paved roadways.
Ecoregions/Protected areas
Recreational Forest Reserve of Fontinhas
Human geography
The parish is made up of several scattered communities, that include: Termo da Igreja, Malbusca, Calheta, Panasco, Glória, Cruz, Cardal, Boavista, Fonte do Jordão, Terras do Raposo, Lapa, Feteirinha, Almas, Santo António, Azenha, Loural and Maia.
Architecture
Civic
- Gonçalo Velho Lighthouse - located on Castelo near the coastal town of Maia, began operation in 1927.
- Lagar de Diogo Santos Faleiro - a medieval wine-press created from the rocks along the Ribeira do Aveiro in Maia.
- Museum of Santa Maria - originally an ethnographic and parochial intuition, it houses exhibits on history, culture and tradition; Santo Espírito.
- Whale Factory at Castelo - alongside the Castelo, the abandoned/ruins and center of whaling in the southeast, Maia.
Religious
- Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte - located in Panasco, in an enclosed/walled patio.
- Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Glória - situated in the hilltop community of Glória.
- Chapel of Santo António - located in the hamlet of the same, and circled by other religious buildings.
- Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Piedade - located in Malbusca, and constructed by the local community.
- Chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres - principal chapel of Maia, located near the port.
- Church of Nossa Senhora da Purificação - also referred to as the church of Candeis, dating back to 1537.
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