Graciosa
Encyclopedia
Graciosa Island (literally "graceful" or "enchanting" in Portuguese) is referred to as the White Island, the northernmost of the Central Group of islands in the Azores
. The ovular Portuguese island has an area of 60.65 km², a length of 10 km and a width of 7 km. It is a volcanic island, dominated by a 1.6 km wide central caldera (the Caldeira) located in the southeast.
Similarly, it is unclear the names of the first settlers to colonize the island, although around 1450 the first colonists were probably slaves (but formal registries did not exist at the time). The first group of settlers of note to be mentioned were led by Vasco Gil Sodré, a former resident of Montemor-o-Velho
, who arrived from Terceira
accompanied by his family and servants around the middle of the 1450s. It was this pioneer who inaugurated the official phase of continuous settlement on the island.
The first population center was in Carapacho, a zone in the southeast of the island where it is likely that settlers made landfall. Owing to the areas poor fertility and lack of shelter from the sea, the settlers moved farther into the interior. In a few years a nucleus formed in the northern coast near Barra and Santa Cruz, in order to take advantage of the sheltered coves and access to potable waters from the tidal ponds/wells. From here the colony that would become the village of Santa Cruz da Graciosa would form.
The first Captain-Donatário, Vasco Gil Sodré, was diligent in his duties, establishing a customs-house for the more fertile and ample lands in the northern part of the island, while his brother-in-law Duarte Barreto do Couto was able to coopt the southern part of the island into a second captaincy around the village of Praia
. After 1485 the Captaincy of Graciosa was unified under the administration of Pedro Correia da Cunha
, Second Captain of Porto Santo
(Madeira
) and brother-in-law of Christopher Columbus
. Taking his family to Graciosa, he settled in Santa Cruz, moving the municipal seat and supplanting Praia as the administrative center. The following year Santa Cruz is elevated to "village" and municipality, under the religious parishes of Santa Cruz and São Mateus da Praia. The change caused an influx in settlers from Beiras, Minho and Flanders
(in the Netherlands
) permitting the installation of the first municipal structures (in this case the construction of the Santa Cruz lighthouse in 1486).
With low costs that permitted easy offloading in multiple ports and with a small population to the island prospered, and becoming the target of attacks by pirates and privateers during the 16th and 17th centuries. In addition to several sackings and general destruction of buildings, the local population were regularly captured. Even under these circumstances, the island was able to continue to support a considerable population, which included original settlers tied to the nobility (specifically from the island of Terceira).
From the earliest settlement, the island survived on agriculture and the wine industry. Given the fertility of the soils and favourbale climate, the locals were able to export wheat, barley, wine and local spirits, maintaining an active commerce with Terceira, then the largest port, center of commerce and the administration of the archipelago.
The islands position in the Central Group and its proximity to Terceira made Graciosa, deliberately or not, an important point along trans-Atlantic navigation. Several historical figures passed through the waters of Santa Cruz including the Father António Vieira
, a victim of a shipwreck near Corvo
who was deposited in the regional capital by a Dutch privateer. In 1791, the French writer François-René de Chateaubriand
visited the island while journeying to North America, staying at the Franciscan Convent and who later wrote of the island. The poet Almeida Garrett
, also visited his uncle (a judge in Santa Cruz) in 1814 at the age of 15. In 1879, Prince Albert I of Monaco
, while visiting the Azores on-board his yacht Hirondelle
, made port in Graciosa during his oceanographic studies of marine life. He visited Furna do Enxofre, in the center of the Caldeira, and was the first to remark that the area should be given adequate installations to provide tourist access to the geological site. On a tragic note, it was during the dusk of July 13, 1929 during an emergency landing around the fields of Brasileira, that an Amiot 123
biplane piloted by two Polish
pilots crashed. The plane had departed Paris-Le Bourget in an attempt at the first Polish trans-Atlantic crossing to New York. While co-pilot Kazimierz Kubala survived with only slight injuries, Ludwik Idzikowski
died in the accident, while the plane was engulfed in flames by careless fire-fighters (burning the deceased body of Idzikowski). A cross was raised to mark the site of the accident.
Along its history the island has experienced many natural crises resulting in general suffering and some deaths. In the summer of 1844, during a heatwave, wherein agriculture was fatally affected and the risk of death to animals and settlers was grave, José Silvestre Ribeiro (then Administrator General of the District of Angra do Heroísmo
), sent 90 wooden barrels with water and ordered the digging of several tidal wells and trenches to carry water from the mountains. These measures were instrumental in alleviating the conditions on the island, along with a strong storm on the night of August 20. The island has also suffered many seismic events, many of which caused destruction of homes and deaths. It was the case on June 13, 1730, when a earthquake near Luz
caused damage to many homes and damaged severally the parochial church. Further earthquakes occurred in March 1787 and in 1817 without causing considerable damage. But it was not the case in 1837, when earthquakes, around January 12 and at the end of February, left most homes in Praia with some damage. The church in Luz almost collapsed to the ground and many died. In Luz, and specifically in the area of Carapacho, in addition to areas in the neighbouring parish of Guadalupe, were also affected by the 1980 Earthquake
, with general destruction in residential areas.
Resulting from general emigration to the United States during the 1950s to 1970s, Graciosa has undergone a general decrease in demographics that has affected the socio-economic stability of the island community.
In 2010, the island of Graciosa joined the international network for verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty through the installation of monitoring station. This was announced by Regional President Carlos César
during a visit to the island, which included the inauguration of the new Furna do Enxofre Visitor's Center and the signing of agreements for the construction of a new Medical Center on Graciosa.
The coast is rough and rocky but generally low, except in the northwest along the Serra Branca (where the cliffs are 200 meters high). There are two shallow bays, situated in the southeast and southwest corresponding to fishing ports in Vila da Praia and Folga, respectively. Along the northeast coast there are several smaller coves near Santa Cruz da Graciosa that were used as ports but are now abandoned, and the older whale and commercial port in Barra, now used as a recreational zone.
The interior of the island is generally flat and dotted by numerous volcanic cones, with a southern portion of the island higher in altitude. The island is divided into four geomorphological zones:
Volcanism on Graciosa was predominantly characterized by low explosivity, although there appear some deposits that show indications of elevated explosivity in its geological record. Aerial volcanism had its beginning approximately 600,000 years ago with the formation of a shield volcano, which is still visible in the Volcanic Complex of Serra Branca (the oldest part of the island). This was followed by periods of explosivity, related to the faults that traverse the zone, forming numerous cones that constitute a major part of the Serra Dormida and Serra das Fontes region. The type of volcanism altered radically around 350,000 years ago with the formation of the central volcano (and later caldera) associated with a different magma chamber, resulting in greater explosivity and giving rise to thick sheets of pumice that layered Serra Branca. The formation of the Santa Cruz Platform comes from the more recent geological volcanism associated with lower explosive basaltic eruptions resulting in numerous cones and sub-aerial deposits that cover the center and northern portions of the island. This phase evolved towards the southeast forming the Caldera Massif and many of the islets and submarine mounts along the coast. The last phase of the geological history of Graciosa occurred 2,000 years ago, forming Pico Timão and the basaltic flows that are located in the surrounding areas.
(4,780 inhabitants in 2001), divided into four civil parishes:
The sporting club of the island is football/soccer and is part of the Associação de Futebol de Angra do Heroísmo.
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...
. The ovular Portuguese island has an area of 60.65 km², a length of 10 km and a width of 7 km. It is a volcanic island, dominated by a 1.6 km wide central caldera (the Caldeira) located in the southeast.
History
In addition to the other islands of the Central Group, Graciosa was explored by Portuguese navigators during the first quarter of the 15th Century. Although there exists no accounts of the first sighting of the island. May 2, 1450 has frequently been referred to as the date of the islands "discovery", although there exists no documentation to support this date. Paradoxically, it is clear that in 1440, by order of Prince Henry the Navigator, cattle and swine were settled on the island in order to facilitate colonization.Similarly, it is unclear the names of the first settlers to colonize the island, although around 1450 the first colonists were probably slaves (but formal registries did not exist at the time). The first group of settlers of note to be mentioned were led by Vasco Gil Sodré, a former resident of Montemor-o-Velho
Montemor-o-Velho
Montemor-o-Velho is a town and municipality of the Coimbra District, in Portugal. It has roughly 30,000 inhabitants.-Demographics:-Parishes:* Abrunheira* Arazede* Carapinheira* Ereira* Gatões* Liceia* Meãs do Campo* Montemor-o-Velho* Pereira...
, who arrived from Terceira
Terceira Island
Referred to as the “Ilha Lilás” , Terceira is an island in the Azores archipelago, in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the larger islands of the archipelago, with a population of 56,000 inhabitants in an area of approximately 396.75 km²...
accompanied by his family and servants around the middle of the 1450s. It was this pioneer who inaugurated the official phase of continuous settlement on the island.
The first population center was in Carapacho, a zone in the southeast of the island where it is likely that settlers made landfall. Owing to the areas poor fertility and lack of shelter from the sea, the settlers moved farther into the interior. In a few years a nucleus formed in the northern coast near Barra and Santa Cruz, in order to take advantage of the sheltered coves and access to potable waters from the tidal ponds/wells. From here the colony that would become the village of Santa Cruz da Graciosa would form.
The first Captain-Donatário, Vasco Gil Sodré, was diligent in his duties, establishing a customs-house for the more fertile and ample lands in the northern part of the island, while his brother-in-law Duarte Barreto do Couto was able to coopt the southern part of the island into a second captaincy around the village of Praia
Praia (Azores)
Praia is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Santa Cruz da Graciosa, on the island of Graciosa, in the Azores...
. After 1485 the Captaincy of Graciosa was unified under the administration of Pedro Correia da Cunha
Pedro Correia da Cunha
Pedro Correia da Cunha , was a Portuguese nobleman who became the Second Captain of Porto Santo and First Captain of Graciosa Island in the Azores. His wife was Izeu Peresterelo, daughter of Bartolomeu Perestrelo and thus sister to Columbus's wife Filipa Moniz. Izeu Perestrelo was cousin to Ana de...
, Second Captain of Porto Santo
Porto Santo Island
Porto Santo Island is a Portuguese island northeast of Madeira Island in the North Atlantic Ocean; it is the northernmost and easternmost island of the archipelago of Madeira, located in the Atlantic Ocean west of Europe and Africa.- History :...
(Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
) and brother-in-law of Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus was an explorer, colonizer, and navigator, born in the Republic of Genoa, in northwestern Italy. Under the auspices of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean that led to general European awareness of the American continents in the...
. Taking his family to Graciosa, he settled in Santa Cruz, moving the municipal seat and supplanting Praia as the administrative center. The following year Santa Cruz is elevated to "village" and municipality, under the religious parishes of Santa Cruz and São Mateus da Praia. The change caused an influx in settlers from Beiras, Minho and Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
(in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
) permitting the installation of the first municipal structures (in this case the construction of the Santa Cruz lighthouse in 1486).
With low costs that permitted easy offloading in multiple ports and with a small population to the island prospered, and becoming the target of attacks by pirates and privateers during the 16th and 17th centuries. In addition to several sackings and general destruction of buildings, the local population were regularly captured. Even under these circumstances, the island was able to continue to support a considerable population, which included original settlers tied to the nobility (specifically from the island of Terceira).
From the earliest settlement, the island survived on agriculture and the wine industry. Given the fertility of the soils and favourbale climate, the locals were able to export wheat, barley, wine and local spirits, maintaining an active commerce with Terceira, then the largest port, center of commerce and the administration of the archipelago.
The islands position in the Central Group and its proximity to Terceira made Graciosa, deliberately or not, an important point along trans-Atlantic navigation. Several historical figures passed through the waters of Santa Cruz including the Father António Vieira
António Vieira
Father António Vieira was a Portuguese Jesuit and writer, the "prince" of Catholic pulpit-orators of his time.-Life:Vieira was born in Lisbon to Cristóvão Vieira Ravasco, the son of a mulatto woman, and Maria de Azevedo. Accompanying his parents to Brazil in 1614, he received his education at the...
, a victim of a shipwreck near Corvo
Corvo Island
Corvo Island , literally the Island of the Crow, is the smallest and the northernmost island of the Azores archipelago and the northernmost in Macaronesia, with a population of approximately 468 inhabitants constituting the smallest single municipality in Azores and in Portugal.-History:A small...
who was deposited in the regional capital by a Dutch privateer. In 1791, the French writer François-René de Chateaubriand
François-René de Chateaubriand
François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand was a French writer, politician, diplomat and historian. He is considered the founder of Romanticism in French literature.-Early life and exile:...
visited the island while journeying to North America, staying at the Franciscan Convent and who later wrote of the island. The poet Almeida Garrett
Almeida Garrett
João Baptista da Silva Leitão de Almeida Garrett, Viscount of Almeida Garrett was a Portuguese poet, playwright, novelist and politician. He is considered to be the introducer of the Romanticism in Portugal, with the epic poem Camões, based on the life of Luís de Camões...
, also visited his uncle (a judge in Santa Cruz) in 1814 at the age of 15. In 1879, Prince Albert I of Monaco
Albert I, Prince of Monaco
Albert I was Prince of Monaco and Duke of Valentinois from 10 September 1889 until his death.-Early life:...
, while visiting the Azores on-board his yacht Hirondelle
Hirondelle
Hirondelle may refer to:* Hirondelle * Hirondelle News Agency, a news organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland* Dassault Hirondelle, a French utility transport aircraft of the 1960s* Western Hirondelle, a kit airplane...
, made port in Graciosa during his oceanographic studies of marine life. He visited Furna do Enxofre, in the center of the Caldeira, and was the first to remark that the area should be given adequate installations to provide tourist access to the geological site. On a tragic note, it was during the dusk of July 13, 1929 during an emergency landing around the fields of Brasileira, that an Amiot 123
Amiot 120
|-References:*-External links:* at Aviafrance-See also:...
biplane piloted by two Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
pilots crashed. The plane had departed Paris-Le Bourget in an attempt at the first Polish trans-Atlantic crossing to New York. While co-pilot Kazimierz Kubala survived with only slight injuries, Ludwik Idzikowski
Ludwik Idzikowski
Ludwik Idzikowski was a Polish military aviator. He died during a transatlantic flight trial.-Early life and service:Ludwik Idzikowski was born in Warsaw. He started mining studies in Liege, Belgium....
died in the accident, while the plane was engulfed in flames by careless fire-fighters (burning the deceased body of Idzikowski). A cross was raised to mark the site of the accident.
Along its history the island has experienced many natural crises resulting in general suffering and some deaths. In the summer of 1844, during a heatwave, wherein agriculture was fatally affected and the risk of death to animals and settlers was grave, José Silvestre Ribeiro (then Administrator General of the District of Angra do Heroísmo
Angra do Heroísmo
Angra do Heroísmo , locally referred to as Angra, is a municipality and city on the island of Terceira, within the Portuguese autonomous region of the Azores. The municipal area has a population of 35,581 and an area of . Along with Praia da Vitória to the north, it is one of two municipal...
), sent 90 wooden barrels with water and ordered the digging of several tidal wells and trenches to carry water from the mountains. These measures were instrumental in alleviating the conditions on the island, along with a strong storm on the night of August 20. The island has also suffered many seismic events, many of which caused destruction of homes and deaths. It was the case on June 13, 1730, when a earthquake near Luz
Luz (Santa Cruz da Graciosa)
Luz is a civil parish in the municipality of Santa Cruz da Graciosa on the island of Graciosa in the Portuguese Azores. The population was 735 , in an area of 11.85 km² ....
caused damage to many homes and damaged severally the parochial church. Further earthquakes occurred in March 1787 and in 1817 without causing considerable damage. But it was not the case in 1837, when earthquakes, around January 12 and at the end of February, left most homes in Praia with some damage. The church in Luz almost collapsed to the ground and many died. In Luz, and specifically in the area of Carapacho, in addition to areas in the neighbouring parish of Guadalupe, were also affected by the 1980 Earthquake
1980 Azores Islands earthquake
Striking the Autonomous Region of Azores on January 1, the 1980 Azores Island earthquake killed 61 people and injured over 400, causing severe damage on the islands of Terceira and São Jorge. Measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, it also shook the islands of Pico and Faial. The earthquake was found...
, with general destruction in residential areas.
Resulting from general emigration to the United States during the 1950s to 1970s, Graciosa has undergone a general decrease in demographics that has affected the socio-economic stability of the island community.
In 2010, the island of Graciosa joined the international network for verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty through the installation of monitoring station. This was announced by Regional President Carlos César
Carlos César
Carlos Manuel Martins do Vale César is a Portuguese politician and the current President of the Regional Government of the Portuguese autonomous region of Azores...
during a visit to the island, which included the inauguration of the new Furna do Enxofre Visitor's Center and the signing of agreements for the construction of a new Medical Center on Graciosa.
Physical Geography
Graciosa Island is situated in the northwest tectonic structure called the Terceira Rift, oriented southeast to northwest and coincident with the orientation of the archipelago. The presence of the Rift has deformed Graciosa into an elongated oval form 12.5 km long by 8.5 km wide.The coast is rough and rocky but generally low, except in the northwest along the Serra Branca (where the cliffs are 200 meters high). There are two shallow bays, situated in the southeast and southwest corresponding to fishing ports in Vila da Praia and Folga, respectively. Along the northeast coast there are several smaller coves near Santa Cruz da Graciosa that were used as ports but are now abandoned, and the older whale and commercial port in Barra, now used as a recreational zone.
The interior of the island is generally flat and dotted by numerous volcanic cones, with a southern portion of the island higher in altitude. The island is divided into four geomorphological zones:
- The Caldeira Massif, in the extreme southeast of the island, comprising a well preserved volcano and caldera;
- Serra das Fontes, located along the northeast coast, a zone of cliffs and escarpments formed by local tectonics;
- The Serra Dormida and Serra Branca Volcanic Complexes, occupying a third of central island, and weathered by local tectonics;
- The Santa Cruz Platform, occupying the northwest of the island, characterized by a relief that is gently sloping (approximately 50 meters) and punctuated by several volcanic cones.
Volcanism on Graciosa was predominantly characterized by low explosivity, although there appear some deposits that show indications of elevated explosivity in its geological record. Aerial volcanism had its beginning approximately 600,000 years ago with the formation of a shield volcano, which is still visible in the Volcanic Complex of Serra Branca (the oldest part of the island). This was followed by periods of explosivity, related to the faults that traverse the zone, forming numerous cones that constitute a major part of the Serra Dormida and Serra das Fontes region. The type of volcanism altered radically around 350,000 years ago with the formation of the central volcano (and later caldera) associated with a different magma chamber, resulting in greater explosivity and giving rise to thick sheets of pumice that layered Serra Branca. The formation of the Santa Cruz Platform comes from the more recent geological volcanism associated with lower explosive basaltic eruptions resulting in numerous cones and sub-aerial deposits that cover the center and northern portions of the island. This phase evolved towards the southeast forming the Caldera Massif and many of the islets and submarine mounts along the coast. The last phase of the geological history of Graciosa occurred 2,000 years ago, forming Pico Timão and the basaltic flows that are located in the surrounding areas.
Human Geography
The territory of Graciosa Island consists of one municipality, Santa Cruz da GraciosaSanta Cruz da Graciosa
Santa Cruz da Graciosa is a Portuguese municipality on the island of Graciosa, in the archipelago of the Azores. Its population was 4,777 inhabitants , and included four local parishes, and one municipal government structure, that administered the entire island.-History:While the date of its first...
(4,780 inhabitants in 2001), divided into four civil parishes:
- Santa CruzSanta Cruz da GraciosaSanta Cruz da Graciosa is a Portuguese municipality on the island of Graciosa, in the archipelago of the Azores. Its population was 4,777 inhabitants , and included four local parishes, and one municipal government structure, that administered the entire island.-History:While the date of its first...
- the seat of the municipality and principal urbanized population on the island, located on eastern coast; - São Mateus da PraiaPraia (Azores)Praia is a Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Santa Cruz da Graciosa, on the island of Graciosa, in the Azores...
- a historic village and once municipal seat, until the it was unincorporated in the 19th century; - GuadalupeGuadalupe (Santa Cruz da Graciosa)Guadalupe is a parish in the district of Santa Cruz da Graciosa in the Azores. The population as of 2001 was 1,306. Its density is 63.6/km² and the area is 20.55 km²....
- the principal rural population on the island; - LuzLuz (Santa Cruz da Graciosa)Luz is a civil parish in the municipality of Santa Cruz da Graciosa on the island of Graciosa in the Portuguese Azores. The population was 735 , in an area of 11.85 km² ....
- civil parish better known locally as "Sul" (South), located along the southern coast of the island.
Economy
Owing to concentration of agriculture, animal husbandry and dairy industries, the island has maintained the relatively rural and tranquil character. The island's fields produce various fruits, wines, grass-fed beef and dairy cattle as well as cheese and other dairy products. The construction of a commercial port and the 1980 construction of the Graciosa Aerodrome has retained the islands links to the archipelago while strengthening exports and importing goods and services. In addition to this, the island has benefited from infrastructural investments that have included the re-qualification of the secondary school, the construction of a new milk factory and fishing port. As well, improvements to the recreational areas in Praia and refurbishment of the Thermals in Carapacho, the construction of a new hotel and Medical Center have been done in order to improve both the tourist industry and support the local community.Transportation
The island is serviced by the Graciosa Airport , which is located along the northern coast, as well as daily ferry service by Atlanticline, the Azores' passenger and cargo service.Culture
The first hotel on Graciosa was inaugurated in June, 2009. The new Graciosa Resort & Business Hotel in Santa Cruz da Graciosa is part of a series of investments to build infrastructure connected to the tourist economy on Graciosa, such as the Carapacho thermal baths. The new four-star hotel has 120 beds, a restaurant for 100 people, a swimming pool and various services related to its category, having cost seven million Euros. It will be managed by INATEL in a partnership with a group of Azorean business people. The hotel is part of the new Praia fishing port on Graciosa includes a set of floating piers, sea marking, water supply networks and electric grids, houses for fishingThe sporting club of the island is football/soccer and is part of the Associação de Futebol de Angra do Heroísmo.