Bandeiras (Madalena)
Encyclopedia
Bandeiras is a civil parish in the municipality of Madalena
on the island of Pico
in the Azores
. It is the least populous of the civil parishes in the municipality, with 520 inhabitants (2001), its density is 20.1/km² and the area is 25.92 km².
The settlers initially focused on animal husbandry, agriculture and a fledgling winery, although some commerce and services developed concurrently. During the 18th and 19th centuries its viticulture expanded dramatically, owing to its micro-climate. The Church Matriz of Nossa Senhora da Boa Nova , a three-nave temple, was inaugurated in 1871. Today the church is in a state of disrepair, due to the July 9, 1988 earthquake that struck the island of Pico.
of Pico. Its borders conform to an irregular pie-shaped wedge between the parishes of Madalena and Santa Luzia (in the municipality of São Roque do Pico); its widest portion is approximately 1.5 kilometres and about 5 kilometres long from the coast to Ponta do Pico. Most cultivatable lands are close to the roadways, and the community is predominantly rural. Forests dominate the mid-elevations, while scrub, mosses and smaller tree species are exist along the slopes of the mountain.
Although Bandeiras is primarily concentrated along the Regional Road ER.1-1ª, there are different agglomerations that comprise the settlement; Lajes, Bandeiras and Lajinhas follow the road, Cachorro, Portal da Fonte, Cais do Mourato and Baixio Pequeno skirt the coast, and north of the road the smaller hamlets of Gafeira or Farrobo are mostly abandoned.
Bandeiras has a school, a few churches, a square, a port and the island's airport
. Its nearest middle and secondary schools are in Madalena.
Madalena (Azores)
Madalena is a municipality along the western coast of the island of Pico, in the Portuguese Azores. The municipality has a population of 6,184 inhabitants and a total area of 147.1 km²...
on the island of Pico
Pico Island
Pico Island , is an island in the Central Group of the Portuguese Azores noted for its eponymous volcano, Ponta do Pico, which is the highest mountain in Portugal, the Azores, and the highest elevation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge...
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...
. It is the least populous of the civil parishes in the municipality, with 520 inhabitants (2001), its density is 20.1/km² and the area is 25.92 km².
History
The parish is the home of the Island's first judiciary. The area was named "Bandeiras" after the magistrates' official flags raised on the site's many buildings ("bandeiras" is the plural form of "flag" in Portuguese).The settlers initially focused on animal husbandry, agriculture and a fledgling winery, although some commerce and services developed concurrently. During the 18th and 19th centuries its viticulture expanded dramatically, owing to its micro-climate. The Church Matriz of Nossa Senhora da Boa Nova , a three-nave temple, was inaugurated in 1871. Today the church is in a state of disrepair, due to the July 9, 1988 earthquake that struck the island of Pico.
Geography
The parish is located along the northwestern coast of the municipality and connected to the regional road that encircles the island. The area is relatively hilly along the coast, and gradually slopes towards the interior, where it reaches its peak (literally) in the stratovolcanoStratovolcano
A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a tall, conical volcano built up by many layers of hardened lava, tephra, pumice, and volcanic ash. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile and periodic, explosive eruptions...
of Pico. Its borders conform to an irregular pie-shaped wedge between the parishes of Madalena and Santa Luzia (in the municipality of São Roque do Pico); its widest portion is approximately 1.5 kilometres and about 5 kilometres long from the coast to Ponta do Pico. Most cultivatable lands are close to the roadways, and the community is predominantly rural. Forests dominate the mid-elevations, while scrub, mosses and smaller tree species are exist along the slopes of the mountain.
Although Bandeiras is primarily concentrated along the Regional Road ER.1-1ª, there are different agglomerations that comprise the settlement; Lajes, Bandeiras and Lajinhas follow the road, Cachorro, Portal da Fonte, Cais do Mourato and Baixio Pequeno skirt the coast, and north of the road the smaller hamlets of Gafeira or Farrobo are mostly abandoned.
Bandeiras has a school, a few churches, a square, a port and the island's airport
Pico Airport
Pico Airport is an airport in Pico Island in the Azores .-Airlines and destinations:...
. Its nearest middle and secondary schools are in Madalena.
Religious
- Church of Nossa Senhora da Boa Nova (Our Lady of the Good Tidings) - located in the main community of Bandeiras, along the regional roadway, east of Cabeço Chão; it dates back to the early 19th century.
- Chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres (Our Lady of Miracles) - located in Cachorro
- Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Desterro (Our Lady of Exile) - located in Cais do Mourato
- Chapel of São Caetano