Santo Espírito

Santo Espírito
Civil Parish
The Gonçalo Velho Lighthouse, the landmark of the village of Maia, and the parish of Santo Espírito
Coat of arms
Official name: Freguesia do Santo Espírito
Name origin: Portuguese for holy spirit
Country  Portugal
Autonomous Region  Azores
Island Santa Maria
Municipality Vila do Porto
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 / 36.95583; -25.04139Coordinates: 36°57′21″N 25°2′29″W / 36.95583°N 25.04139°W / 36.95583; -25.04139
Highest point Cavacas
 - elevation 495 m (1,624 ft)
 - coordinates 36°57′32″N 25°4′29″W / 36.95889°N 25.07472°W / 36.95889; -25.07472
Lowest point Sea level
 - location Atlantic Ocean
 - elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Area 26.68 km2 (10 sq mi)
 - urban .82 km2 (0 sq mi)
Population 588 (2011)
Density 22/km2 (57/sq mi)
LAU Junta Freguesia
 - location Termo da Igreja
 - elevation 310 m (1,017 ft)
 - coordinates 36°57′22″N 25°2′27″W / 36.95611°N 25.04083°W / 36.95611; -25.04083
President Junta Alberto José de Loura Chaves
President Assembleia José António Tavares Sousa
Timezone Azores (UTC-1)
 - summer (DST) Azores (UTC0)
Postal Zone 9580-238
Area Code & Prefix (+351) 292 XX XX XX
Patron Saint Nossa Senhora da Purificação
Location of the civil parish of Santo Espírito within the municipality of Vila do Porto
Wikimedia Commons: Santo Espírito (Vila do Porto)

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. The population in 2011 was 588,[1] in an area of 26.68 km².[2]

History

The parish was first referred in the chronicles of Gaspar Frutuoso:

"Leaving this fajã towards Norte, in the lands created by fields of marcela, because there were many there, they call it Santo Espírito, where they say the older [inhabitants] made their first mass to the Holy Spirit, when they entered there, and from there it became until this day the parish of Santo Espírito, becoming it later built, like today it is, in the invocation of the Purification of Our Lady, with losing its older name. And, because they did not find the field a convenient place for a settlement and town, they went to Santa Ana, like it was, where it stayed later in this place."[3]

Monte Alverne later identified that this area was associated with Nossa Senhora da Purificação, in the place of Espírito Santo.[4]

In the area of Malbusca, during the early settlement of the region, the colonists collected the fungus Roccella tinctoria which was exported to Flanders to produce woad, in an artesnal and risky process:

"Scattered along the cliffs of Malbusca, along the sea, very high and fearful, is collected urzela, which caused men, to risk their lives, inserted into baskets hanging by ropes tied to stakes tucked in the ground, over the rocks with one end to the basket and the other tied to a basket...there they were dropped by rope by hand until they arrive where they wanted to, and, when they had their bag full"[3]

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: 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 and Terra do Raposo.

Architecture

Civic

Military

Religious

References

Notes
  1. Instituto Nacional de Estatística
  2. Eurostat
  3. 1 2 Gaspar Frutuoso, Saudades da Terra, Livro III, Capítulo V.
  4. Agostinho de Monte Alverne Crónicas da Província de S. João Evangelista das Ilhas dos Açores, Capítulo I.
  5. Costa, Patrícia (2002), SIPA, ed., Farol de Gonçalo Velho/Farol da Maia (IPA.00011883/PT072107030006) (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico, retrieved 6 April 2014
  6. IAC/DRC, ed. (25 March 2000), "11.89.50 FÁBRICA DA BALEIA DO CASTELO", Arquivo da Arquitectura Popular dos Açores (in Portuguese), Angra do Heroísmo (Azores), Portugal: Instituto Açoriano de Cultura/Direção Regional de Cultura, retrieved 6 April 2014
  7. 1 2 IAC/DRC, ed. (27 March 2000), "11.81.39 MOINHO DA LAPA: Ficha 5/Santa Maria da "Classificação de Moinhos de Vento" da SREC/DRAC; Ficha 5/Santa Maria da "Inventariação-Moinhos de Vento" da SRTA/DRA", Arquivo da Arquitectura Popular dos Açores (in Portuguese), Angra do Heroísmo (Azores), Portugal: Instituto Açoriano de Cultura/Direção Regional de Cultura, retrieved 6 April 2014
  8. Noé, Paula (2012), SIPA, ed., Igreja Paroquial do Santo Espírito / Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Purificação (IPA.00008142/PT072107030001) (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico, retrieved 6 April 2014
  9. Valério, Bruna; Noé, Paula (2014), SIPA, ed., Ermida de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte (IPA.00035089) (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico, retrieved 6 April 2014
  10. IAC/DRC, ed. (23 March 2000), "11.73.36 ERMIDA DE NOSSA SENHORA DA GLÓRIA: Ficha E-3 do "Inventário do Património Histórico e Religioso para o Plano Director Municipal de Vila do Porto"", Arquivo da Arquitectura Popular dos Açores (in Portuguese), Angra do Heroísmo (Azores), Portugal: Instituto Açoriano de Cultura/Direção Regional de Cultura, retrieved 6 April 2014
  11. Valério, Bruna; Noé, Paula (2014), SIPA, ed., Ermida de Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres (IPA.00035087) (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico, retrieved 6 April 2014
  12. Figueiredo (1990), p.47
  13. Valério, Bruna; Noé, Paula (2014), SIPA, ed., Ermida de Santo António (IPA.00035092) (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico, retrieved 6 April 2014
  14. Noé, Paula (2012), SIPA, ed., Império do Espírito Santo de Santo António/Treatro do Espírito Santo de Santo António e Copeira (IPA.00035133) (in Portuguese), Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico, retrieved 6 April 2014
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