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Madalena (Azores)
Encyclopedia
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 (a density of 42 inhabitants/km²). The municipality is fronted by the stratovolcano Pico
in the eastern frontier, and the Faial Channel
which divides Pico from the island of Faial
seven kilometers away. It is encircled almost entirely by the Atlantic Ocean
except in the east, where it is bordered by São João (Lajes do Pico) in the southeast, and Santo António (São Roque do Pico) in the northeast.
The settlement of the island of Pico occurred much later then most islands, partly due to greater interest shown in the other islands of the Central Group. For a time, only small herds, deposited by property-owners from Faial and Terceira, along with their caretakers (some of whom were slaves), were the only inhabitants of the island. It was not until the Infanta Beatriz proceeded to reorganize island administration and promote a greater colonization of the islands of the Central Group (between 1470 and 1480) that this changed. In 1483, Faial and Pico were integrated into one Captaincy
, under the Flem
Josse van Huerter
, and settlers were encouraged to colonize the island of Pico. But even still, the area of Madalena, with its rocky coastal plain, did not attract many new settlers and the community did not expand significantly until the municipality was created in 1723.
By the first quarter of the 18th century, the municipality of Madalena was already entrenched in the "wine cycle" which had multiplied the riches of its landowners and increased the desire of local settlers for emancipation from the Captaincy of Faial. The introduction of grapes to the island had occurred almost immediately with the first settlers, along with the cultivation of wheat and production of wine and olive oil (that were staples of the traditionally Mediterranean Christian culture at the time). In the 15th and 16th Century, the vineyards had been a source of subsistence, then export, because the soils and rocky terrain had made it almost impossible to develop a viable cereal culture. The diffusion of vineyards, that began in the 17th Century, was a consequence of the soil and the conquest of markets for Pico's verdelho
wines. The uniquely Piquense culture of grape growing on the ground, or in volcanic rock patches, allowed the establishment of an industry and opened new markets for products originating in Madalena.
In the second half of the 17th Century, the collapse of the woad
industry, which supported many of the Azorean islands, and the decline of Iberian hegemony (Portugal was in a dynastic union
with Spain at the time) in the North America, created a syndrome of crisis on the islands. The growth in viticulture
onto better quality soils allowed an improvement of the castes, and a growth in the reputation and credibility of Piquense wines. In addition, new markets in North America and Brazil improved exports, which had primarily relied on English patronage and purchases.
The growth of wine exports from Pico elevated the neighboring town of Horta
to the status of municipality, since all international shipments were made from the island's sheltered port, creating a socio-economic disparity between the disenfranchised Piquense "workers" and the entrepreneurs/landowners from Faial. Along with a demographic growth on Madalena, this shift raised cries for the emancipation of Madalena and the island of Pico. In fact, Father Gaspar Frutuoso
and Friar Agostinho de Montalverne certified that the colonists in Madalena had tripled by the 17th Century; in 1587, there were less than 3000 inhabitants and around 9000 by 1695, forcing the remodelling of the local church. Pico moved "up the ladder" of urban hierarchies from fifth largest centre in the Azores to fourth, behind São Miguel
, Terceira and Faial. By the middle of the 18th century the population was over 19000 inhabitants. The municipality was created on March 8, 1723.
In 1793, and between 1800–02, Madalena contributed to 80% of the domestic sales on the island of Pico, primarily from brands of wines to markets in the New World
, the Baltics, India
and Macau
. Until the early 19th century, exports were handled from Horta, where most of the mercantile fleets would make call (owing to its superior services and sheltered bay). But, the island's growth ultimately supported the construction of a sheltered anchorage in Madalena, that would become the port.
Yet, as Madalena became the predominant center on the island, it was hit by the phylloxera
plague, which destroyed many of the vineyards and began a period of economic deprivation. A diversification of economic activities was the only way to resolve these problems and improve the situation. The fruit industry, and in particular the citrus orchards, became an important staple in the ports of Horta and Madalena. Whaling also developed, but it had its most profound effects in the communities that circled the island, yet not within the jurisdiction of Madalena.
In the 20th Century, the dairy industry continued the boom and bust
cycle, while ecotourism
centered on Pico
and the histo-cultural nature of the island developed after European integration.
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 Portuguese 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...
. The municipality has a population of 6,184 inhabitants and a total area of 147.1 km² (a density of 42 inhabitants/km²). The municipality is fronted by the stratovolcano Pico
Mount Pico
Mount Pico is a stratovolcano and the highest point on Pico Island in the Azores. It reaches an altitude of 2,351 meters above sea level, which makes it the highest point in Portugal and also in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge...
in the eastern frontier, and the Faial Channel
Faial Channel
The Faial Channel or Canal do Faial is an 8.3 km long channel that separates the islands of Faial and Pico in the central part of the Azores archipelago. The strait is divided into two sections, the Baixa do Norte and the Baixa do Sul....
which divides Pico from the island of Faial
Faial Island
Faial Island , also known in English as Fayal, is a Portuguese island of the Central Group of the Azores....
seven kilometers away. It is encircled almost entirely by the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
except in the east, where it is bordered by São João (Lajes do Pico) in the southeast, and Santo António (São Roque do Pico) in the northeast.
History
Captaincy
A captaincy is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires. Each was governed by a captain general.-In the Portuguese Empire:...
, under the Flem
Flemish people
The Flemings or Flemish are the Dutch-speaking inhabitants of Belgium, where they are mostly found in the northern region of Flanders. They are one of two principal cultural-linguistic groups in Belgium, the other being the French-speaking Walloons...
Josse van Huerter
Josse van Huerter
Josse van Huerter , also known by several transliterations was the first settler, and captain-major of the island of Faial in the Portuguese Azores. After 1482, the island of Pico was also incorporated into his captaincy...
, and settlers were encouraged to colonize the island of Pico. But even still, the area of Madalena, with its rocky coastal plain, did not attract many new settlers and the community did not expand significantly until the municipality was created in 1723.
By the first quarter of the 18th century, the municipality of Madalena was already entrenched in the "wine cycle" which had multiplied the riches of its landowners and increased the desire of local settlers for emancipation from the Captaincy of Faial. The introduction of grapes to the island had occurred almost immediately with the first settlers, along with the cultivation of wheat and production of wine and olive oil (that were staples of the traditionally Mediterranean Christian culture at the time). In the 15th and 16th Century, the vineyards had been a source of subsistence, then export, because the soils and rocky terrain had made it almost impossible to develop a viable cereal culture. The diffusion of vineyards, that began in the 17th Century, was a consequence of the soil and the conquest of markets for Pico's verdelho
Verdelho
Verdelho is a white wine grape grown throughout Portugal, though most associated with the island of Madeira, and also gives its name to one of the four main types of Madeira wine...
wines. The uniquely Piquense culture of grape growing on the ground, or in volcanic rock patches, allowed the establishment of an industry and opened new markets for products originating in Madalena.
In the second half of the 17th Century, the collapse of the woad
Woad
Isatis tinctoria, with Woad as the common name, is a flowering plant in the family Brassicaceae. It is commonly called dyer's woad, and sometimes incorrectly listed as Isatis indigotica . It is occasionally known as Asp of Jerusalem...
industry, which supported many of the Azorean islands, and the decline of Iberian hegemony (Portugal was in a dynastic union
Iberian Union
The Iberian union was a political unit that governed all of the Iberian Peninsula south of the Pyrenees from 1580–1640, through a dynastic union between the monarchies of Portugal and Spain after the War of the Portuguese Succession...
with Spain at the time) in the North America, created a syndrome of crisis on the islands. The growth in viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
onto better quality soils allowed an improvement of the castes, and a growth in the reputation and credibility of Piquense wines. In addition, new markets in North America and Brazil improved exports, which had primarily relied on English patronage and purchases.
The growth of wine exports from Pico elevated the neighboring town of Horta
Horta (Azores)
Horta is a single municipality and city in the western part of the Archipealgo of the Azores, encompassing the island of Faial. Horta has a population of about approximately 15,038 people and an area of 173.1 square kilometers. The population density is about 88 persons per square kilometer...
to the status of municipality, since all international shipments were made from the island's sheltered port, creating a socio-economic disparity between the disenfranchised Piquense "workers" and the entrepreneurs/landowners from Faial. Along with a demographic growth on Madalena, this shift raised cries for the emancipation of Madalena and the island of Pico. In fact, Father Gaspar Frutuoso
Gaspar Frutuoso
Gaspar Frutuoso was a Portuguese priest, historian and humanist from the island of São Miguel, in the Azores...
and Friar Agostinho de Montalverne certified that the colonists in Madalena had tripled by the 17th Century; in 1587, there were less than 3000 inhabitants and around 9000 by 1695, forcing the remodelling of the local church. Pico moved "up the ladder" of urban hierarchies from fifth largest centre in the Azores to fourth, behind São Miguel
São Miguel Island
São Miguel Island , nicknamed "The Green Island", is the largest and most populous island in the Portuguese Azores archipelago. The island covers and has around 140,000 inhabitants, 45,000 of these people located in the largest city in the archipelago: Ponta Delgada.-History:In 1427, São Miguel...
, Terceira and Faial. By the middle of the 18th century the population was over 19000 inhabitants. The municipality was created on March 8, 1723.
In 1793, and between 1800–02, Madalena contributed to 80% of the domestic sales on the island of Pico, primarily from brands of wines to markets in the New World
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
, the Baltics, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
. Until the early 19th century, exports were handled from Horta, where most of the mercantile fleets would make call (owing to its superior services and sheltered bay). But, the island's growth ultimately supported the construction of a sheltered anchorage in Madalena, that would become the port.
Yet, as Madalena became the predominant center on the island, it was hit by the phylloxera
Phylloxera
Grape phylloxera ; originally described in France as Phylloxera vastatrix; equated to the previously described Daktulosphaira vitifoliae, Phylloxera vitifoliae; commonly just called phylloxera is a pest of commercial grapevines worldwide, originally native to eastern North America...
plague, which destroyed many of the vineyards and began a period of economic deprivation. A diversification of economic activities was the only way to resolve these problems and improve the situation. The fruit industry, and in particular the citrus orchards, became an important staple in the ports of Horta and Madalena. Whaling also developed, but it had its most profound effects in the communities that circled the island, yet not within the jurisdiction of Madalena.
In the 20th Century, the dairy industry continued the boom and bust
Boom and bust
A credit boom-bust cycle is an episode characterized by a sustained increase in several economics indicators followed by a sharp and rapid contraction. Commonly the boom is driven by a rapid expansion of credit to the private sector accompanied with rising prices of commodities and stock market index...
cycle, while ecotourism
Ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism visiting fragile, pristine, and usually protected areas, intended as a low impact and often small scale alternative to standard commercial tourism...
centered on Pico
Mount Pico
Mount Pico is a stratovolcano and the highest point on Pico Island in the Azores. It reaches an altitude of 2,351 meters above sea level, which makes it the highest point in Portugal and also in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge...
and the histo-cultural nature of the island developed after European integration.
Geography
The municipality comprises the following six parishes:- Bandeiras - A village connected with the prosperity of the "wine cycle" of the 18th and 19th centuries; principal areas of note: Cais do Mourato and Cachorro, both "resort towns", and where the latter is the location of a chapel known for a traditional penitential pilgrimage; and Cabeço Chao an area with a micro-climate.
- CandeláriaCandelária (Madalena)Candelária is a civil parish located on the western coast of the island of Pico, in the municipality of Madalena in the Azores. The population in 2001 is 892, its density is 28.1/km² and the area is 31.72 km².-Geography:...
- A civil parish in an area of vineyards and orchards, birthplace of the late cardinal, Jose da Costa Nunes. - Criação VelhaCriação VelhaCriação Velha is a civil parish in the municipality of Madalena on the island of Pico in the Azores. Census records for the community in 2001, found about 818 inhabitants in residence in the parish.- History :...
- As its name in Portuguese means, the area of relatively older history, is still considered the true home of verdelho wine, where golden grapes ripen on large beds of lava, generally in the area of Lagido. - Madalena - The trading and communications centre of the island; its position facing the island of FaialFaial IslandFaial Island , also known in English as Fayal, is a Portuguese island of the Central Group of the Azores....
(and the town of Horta) has made it, since its original settlement, the main port to ensure links with the neighbouring islands. It is bordered by the two islets that have (along with Mount Pico itself) been characteristic of the island of Pico: Ilhéu Deitado ("Lying Down Islet") and Ilhéu em Pe ("Standing Islet"). The area of Areia Larga is considered the summer resort of the settlement, location of the oldest manor-houses associated with the "wine cycle". - São CaetanoSão Caetano (Madalena)São Caetano is a civil parish in the municipality of Madalena along the southwestern coast of the island of Pico, the Portuguese Azores. It occupies an area of 24.36 km², with approximately 550 inhabitants as of 2001 .-Geography:The parish is located in the southern part of the municipality...
- Still referred to as Prainha do Sul ("Little Southern Beach") or Prainha do Galeao ("Little Beach of the Galleon", because of the ship built there by Garcia Gonçalves Madruga in the 16th Century in order to pay debts owed to King João III), it includes the hamlet of Terra do Pao, and its small church dedicated to Saint Margaret. - São MateusSão Mateus (Madalena)São Mateus is a civil parish along the southwestern coast of the municipality of Madalena on the island of Island of Pico in the Azores. The population in 2001 is 847, its density is 17.74/km² and the area is 47.7 km².-Geography:...
- One of the oldest villages on the island, it was founded in 1482, as an alternative to the port of Madalena (connecting Pico with Faial), and as a base for whaling. It is also recognized for its lace-makers, who produce embroidery and crochet work.