Arrifes is a civil parish in the municipality of Ponta Delgada

Ponta Delgada

Ponta Delgada is a city and municipality on the island of São Miguel in the archipelago of the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. It includes 44,403 residents in the urban area, and approximately 20,113 inhabitants in the three central parishes that comprise the historical city: São Pedro,...

 on the island of São Miguel in the Azores

Azores

The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...

. In 2001 its population was 6941, covering an area of 25.37 km² (its density is 273.59 inhabitants per km²).

History

The name Arrifes has its origin in the Arab word Al-rife, which means reef, or coastal outcropping/rocks. It is unclear whether this name was attributed to the area around Relva originally (and expanded) or was given for other reasons.

Constructed in the second-half of the 18th-Century, the Church of Nossa Senhora da Saúde, incorporated the older chapel of the same name, originally initiated by D. Margarida Bettencourt da Câmara in her last will and testament on July 12, 1627. In 1764 and 1765 it was subject to remodelling that expanded the structure to the current dimensions. Designed in the Baroque-style of the post-modern period, this structure consists of a single tower and white-facade typical of Azorean churches, while the interior altar and sacristy have ornate gold-leaf cornices and niches.

In the area of Piedade, another chapel was constructed in the name of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, and ordered constructed by João Dias Caridade at the beginning of the 16th-Century, and subject to major renovations in 1791.

Further, the Church of Nossa Senhora dos Milgares, constructed after 1816, by the community and completed in 1831. It was this church that was responsible for elevating the community to the status of parish on April 3, 1959. Romarias and associated festivals are celebrated from this church on the first Sunday after August 15.

Geography

It is situated northeast of the urbanized core of Ponta Delgada and constituted from three many localities: Piedade, Saúde and Milagres. Also, it extends from these communities toward the north-northeast until Serra Gorda, making it the largest parish in the municipality, and one of the largest on the island. Landlocked, Arrifes is surrounded by Capelas to the north, São Jose (Ponta Delgada) to the south, São Sebastião and Fajã de Cima to the east, and fronts the parish of Relva and Covoada to the west.

Economy

Its extensive size allows the support of dairy-cattle; in fact, Arrifes is the largest milk-producing region of the Azores, and home of the islands main dairy factories, responsible for supporting most of the island's demand, as well as export requirements.

Festivities

The rural parish celebrates many of its religious festivals from June until late September. Firstly, there is the Romarias and festivities that are realized on the first Sunday after August 15, from the Church of Nossa Senhora da Saúde. But these are also followed by the celebrations on the third Sunday of September at Nossa Senhora dos Milagres, and on the fourth Sunday of September at the Church of Nossa Senhora do Piedade.