Praia da Vitória
Encyclopedia
Praia da Vitória (ˈpɾajɐ ðɐ viˈtɔɾiɐ; Beach of the Victory) is a municipality in Portugal
's Autonomous Region of the Azores
. The second largest administrative division on the island of Terceira
, Praia da Vitória occupies the northern coast of the island and extends halfway into the interior having at its frontiers Pico Alto and the shield volcano of Santa Bárbara.
The area of Praia, was one of the first points of colonization on the island of Terceira; the islands first Captain-Donatorio, Jácome de Bruges
, along with his first lieutenant, Diogo de Teive
, established their residency in Praia. Praia constituted the seat of the Captaincy of Terceira between 1456 and 1474. By 1474, the island was divided into two captaincies (Praia and Angra): the Captaincy of Praia reverted to Álvaro Martins Homem, Bruges' successor. The growth of the woad
industry and export wheat market concentrated along the fertile Ramo Grande area, allowed Praia to grow rapidly. Consequently, Praia was elevated to the status of vila (comparable to town) in 1480, still within the administration of Álvaro Martins Homem.
By the last quarter of the 16th century, Gaspar Frutuoso
(the celebrated Azorean historian), wrote of Praia in these terms:
During the Iberian Union
, the Battle of Salga
which occurred in the village of São Sebastião
(then a parish of Praia) broke out along the coast in 1582. Later, during the Restoration of Portuguese Independence, the citizenry of Praia acclaimed King John IV
, when Francisco Ornelas da Câmara arrived in Terceira.
The settlement was destroyed during the 1614 Earthquake, those residents along the coast lost to the sea. During the 17th century, even as the community was being re-constructed, it was hit by several more seismic events.
During the Liberal Wars
, the harbor was the scene of a naval battle in 1829 between the Liberals and the Absolutists, competing factions in support of King Pedro IV and King Miguel
, respectively, during the Liberal Wars
. The Battle of Praia ensued when a squadron of Miguelist troops attempted to disembark at Praia (11 August 1829). As a result of this victory, Queen Maria I
after being restored to the throne, acted to recognize its residents for their heroism by appending "Mui Notável" (Very notable) and "da Vitória" (of the Victoria) to its name (12 January 1837). Consequently, Praia became known as Praia da Vitória. This was the last battle to be fought in Portugal.
Its economic importance in the economy of the north continued, even after the 15 June 1841 Earthquake, referred to as the Caída da Praia (The Fall of the Beach), which partial destroyed the settlement. Its reconstruction, at the end of the 19th century was motivated by councillor José Silvestre Ribeiro.
The priest Jerónimo Emiliano de Andrade, who lived at the end of the 19th century, referred to Praia da Vitória:
The town was elevated to city on 20 June 1981, although it was referred to as the Vila da Praia da Vitória until 1983.
In the second half of the 20th century, a large aerodrome was constructed along the southwestern side of the Portuguese Air Base No.4
. In addition, the port of Praia was expanded to include a 1400 metre extension. These two projects have supported the municipality's growth, along with its large industrial centre.
.
Administratively, the municipality of Praia da Vitória is divided into the following civil parishes, which handle local distribution of services and support the local residents:
ing crowd. It is the location of the only sizable sand beach
on Terceira.
Lajes Air Base, a joint United States
and Portuguese air force base, lies three kilometers to the north of the town. American servicemen frequent the restaurants and clubs in the town and add considerably to the local economy.
because of the constant stiff seabreeze. Praia da Vitoria hosts an annual triathlon
and is known for its unique style of bullfighting
, tourada à corda.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
's Autonomous Region of 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...
. The second largest administrative division on the island of 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...
, Praia da Vitória occupies the northern coast of the island and extends halfway into the interior having at its frontiers Pico Alto and the shield volcano of Santa Bárbara.
History
Jácome de Bruges
Jácome de Bruges was a servant of Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal, who was the son of king John I. Henry, quite famously, initiated the so-called Age of Discovery in the fifteenth century....
, along with his first lieutenant, Diogo de Teive
Diogo de Teive
Diogo de Teive was a captain and squire to the House of Infante D. Henrique during the Portuguese period of discovery.On January 1, 1451 he disembarked on the island of Terceira in the Azores from which he made his base. He realized two voyages of exploration to the West of the archipelago...
, established their residency in Praia. Praia constituted the seat of the Captaincy of Terceira between 1456 and 1474. By 1474, the island was divided into two captaincies (Praia and Angra): the Captaincy of Praia reverted to Álvaro Martins Homem, Bruges' successor. The growth 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 and export wheat market concentrated along the fertile Ramo Grande area, allowed Praia to grow rapidly. Consequently, Praia was elevated to the status of vila (comparable to town) in 1480, still within the administration of Álvaro Martins Homem.
By the last quarter of the 16th century, Gaspar Frutuoso
Gaspar Frutuoso
Gaspar Frutuoso was a Portuguese priest, historian and humanist from the island of São Miguel, in the Azores...
(the celebrated Azorean historian), wrote of Praia in these terms:
- "...and shortly there is the town of Praia, noble and sumptuous and with good buildings, built in a very good style, circled by a good wall, with its forts and bulwarks all around, populated by nobles and older residents, with one of the older settlements of the island, circled by famous and rich farms of nobles and grandiose nobility, with a parish and sumptuous church of three naves, with a vaulted main chapel and porticoes and pillars of well worked marble, all circled by chapels of the grand first-born...its principal invocation is to the Holy Cross...where the house of Mercy and hospital, with two churches, one the hospital of the Holy Spirit and the other to Our Lady, with a nave down the middle...; its a famous monastery of Saint Francis where there still continue to reside ten or twelve religious, where there are many chapels of the grand first-born similar to the above indicated; three monasteries for nuns, the more principal of the those is to Jesus..., with forty nuns with black veils and two, one of Our Lady of the Light and the other Our Lady of the Stigmata, give obedience and observation to Saint Francis, where there are few religious"
During the Iberian 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...
, the Battle of Salga
Battle of Salga
The Battle of Salga occurred on 25 July 1581, along the Bay of Salga and around the coastal part of the parish of Vila de São Sebastião, island of Terceira in the Portuguese Azores, between Spanish and Portuguese forces...
which occurred in the village of São Sebastião
Vila de São Sebastião
Vila de São Sebastião, commonly shortened to São Sebastião is a civil parish in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo, on the island of Terceira in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores...
(then a parish of Praia) broke out along the coast in 1582. Later, during the Restoration of Portuguese Independence, the citizenry of Praia acclaimed King John IV
John IV of Portugal
|-|John IV was the King of Portugal and the Algarves from 1640 to his death. He was the grandson of Catherine, Duchess of Braganza, who had in 1580 claimed the Portuguese crown and sparked the struggle for the throne of Portugal. John was nicknamed John the Restorer...
, when Francisco Ornelas da Câmara arrived in Terceira.
The settlement was destroyed during the 1614 Earthquake, those residents along the coast lost to the sea. During the 17th century, even as the community was being re-constructed, it was hit by several more seismic events.
During the Liberal Wars
Liberal Wars
The Liberal Wars, also known as the Portuguese Civil War, the War of the Two Brothers, or Miguelite War, was a war between progressive constitutionalists and authoritarian absolutists in Portugal over royal succession that lasted from 1828 to 1834...
, the harbor was the scene of a naval battle in 1829 between the Liberals and the Absolutists, competing factions in support of King Pedro IV and King Miguel
Miguel of Portugal
Dom Miguel I, sometimes Michael , was the King of Portugal between 1828 and 1834, the seventh child and second son of King John VI and his queen, Charlotte of Spain....
, respectively, during the Liberal Wars
Liberal Wars
The Liberal Wars, also known as the Portuguese Civil War, the War of the Two Brothers, or Miguelite War, was a war between progressive constitutionalists and authoritarian absolutists in Portugal over royal succession that lasted from 1828 to 1834...
. The Battle of Praia ensued when a squadron of Miguelist troops attempted to disembark at Praia (11 August 1829). As a result of this victory, Queen Maria I
Maria I of Portugal
Maria I was Queen regnant of Portugal and the Algarves from 1777 until her death. Known as Maria the Pious , or Maria the Mad , she was the first undisputed Queen regnant of Portugal...
after being restored to the throne, acted to recognize its residents for their heroism by appending "Mui Notável" (Very notable) and "da Vitória" (of the Victoria) to its name (12 January 1837). Consequently, Praia became known as Praia da Vitória. This was the last battle to be fought in Portugal.
Its economic importance in the economy of the north continued, even after the 15 June 1841 Earthquake, referred to as the Caída da Praia (The Fall of the Beach), which partial destroyed the settlement. Its reconstruction, at the end of the 19th century was motivated by councillor José Silvestre Ribeiro.
The priest Jerónimo Emiliano de Andrade, who lived at the end of the 19th century, referred to Praia da Vitória:
- "The traveller who leaves Cabo da PraiaCabo da PraiaCabo da Praia is a civil parish on the east coast of the municipality of Praia da Vitória on the Portuguese island of Terceira in the Azores. In 2001, the population of this parish was 1469 inhabitants in an area of 3.18 km² ....
is quickly encounters the magnificent and majestic Vila da Praia da Vitória, which is located a short distance, no less than a quarter league..."
The town was elevated to city on 20 June 1981, although it was referred to as the Vila da Praia da Vitória until 1983.
In the second half of the 20th century, a large aerodrome was constructed along the southwestern side of the Portuguese Air Base No.4
Lajes Field
Lajes Field or Lajes Air Base , officially designated Air Base No. 4 , is a multi-use air field, home to the Portuguese Air Force Base Aérea Nº4 and Azores Air Zone Command , a United States Air Force detachment , and a regional air passenger terminal located near Lajes...
. In addition, the port of Praia was expanded to include a 1400 metre extension. These two projects have supported the municipality's growth, along with its large industrial centre.
Geography
The town boasts two notable churches, several public squares, and a number of hotels and restaurants. It edges up against a low mountain ridge called Facho (Portuguese for Torch, because in its top a primitive lighthouse and lookout place against pirates, and later a marine and military semaphoric signal station, operated for about 400 years), and a large public park atop the ridge affords excellent views of the surrounding countryside and the Atlantic OceanAtlantic 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...
.
Administratively, the municipality of Praia da Vitória is divided into the following civil parishes, which handle local distribution of services and support the local residents:
- AgualvaAgualva (Praia da Vitória)Agualva is a civil parish in the municipality of Praia da Vitória on the island of Terceira in the Azores. The population in 2001 was 1573, its population density was 40.59/km², and the land area is 38.75 km². The parish lies 186 metres above sea level....
- BiscoitosBiscoitosBiscoitos is a civil parish in the municipality of Praia da Vitória, on the island of Terceira in the Portuguese Azores. In 2001, the population of Biscoitos was just under 1500 inhabitants, occupying an area of 27.05 km² .The village has a wine museum called the Museu do Vinho dos Biscoitos that...
- Cabo da PraiaCabo da PraiaCabo da Praia is a civil parish on the east coast of the municipality of Praia da Vitória on the Portuguese island of Terceira in the Azores. In 2001, the population of this parish was 1469 inhabitants in an area of 3.18 km² ....
- Fonte do BastardoFonte do BastardoFonte do Bastardo is a parish in the municipality of Praia da Vitória on the island of Terceira in the Portuguese Azores. In 2001 the population was just over 1156 inhabitants in an area of 8.85 square kilometers ....
- FontinhasFontinhasFontinhas is a civil parish in the municipality of Praia da Vitória, Terceira Island in the Portuguese Azores. In 2001, the parish occupied an area of 12.14 km² in the interior of the municipality, with over 1541 inhabitants ....
- LajesLajes (Praia da Vitória)Lajes is a civil parish in the municipality of Praia da Vitória, on the island of Terceira in the Portuguese Azores. In 2001, the population was 3753, occupying an area of 12.11 km², in the north-eastern coast of the municipality : it is the second largest and the most populous parish in the...
- Porto MartinsPorto MartinsPorto Martins is a civil parish in the municipality of Praia da Vitória, on the island of Terceira in the Portuguese Azores.- History :Porto Martins was deannexed from the neighbouring parish of Cabo da Praia on 9 May 2001, by force of Regional Decree ....
- Praia da Vitória
- Quatro RibeirasQuatro RibeirasQuatro Ribeiras is a civil parish in the municipality of Praia da Vitoria in the Portuguese island of Terceira in the Azores. Covering an area 12.83 km², in the northern coast of Terceira, its population was just over 423 inhabitants : it is the least populous parish in the municipality....
- São BrásSão Brás (Praia da Vitória)São Brás is a civil parish in the municipality of Praia da Vitória on the Portuguese island of Terceira in the Azores. The landlocked parish, covers an area of 4.68 km² and its population in 2001 was just over 1012 inhabitants : it is the smallest parish within the municipality of Praia da...
- Vila NovaVila Nova (Praia da Vitória)Vila Nova is a civil parish in the municipality of Praia da Vitória on the island of Terceira in the Portuguese Azores. In 2001, the population was 1729, in an area of about 8.14 km² Vila Nova is a civil parish in the municipality of Praia da Vitória on the island of Terceira in the Portuguese...
Economy
Praia da Vitória is a services, fishing and agricultural community, and boasts a large new marina popular with the yachtYacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
ing crowd. It is the location of the only sizable sand beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
on Terceira.
Lajes Air Base, a joint United States
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
and Portuguese air force base, lies three kilometers to the north of the town. American servicemen frequent the restaurants and clubs in the town and add considerably to the local economy.
Sport
It is popular with windsurfersWindsurfing
Windsurfing or sailboarding is a surface water sport that combines elements of surfing and sailing. It consists of a board usually two to four metres long, powered by the orthogonal effect of the wind on a sail. The rig is connected to the board by a free-rotating universal joint and comprises a...
because of the constant stiff seabreeze. Praia da Vitoria hosts an annual triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
and is known for its unique style of bullfighting
Bullfighting
Bullfighting is a traditional spectacle of Spain, Portugal, southern France and some Latin American countries , in which one or more bulls are baited in a bullring for sport and entertainment...
, tourada à corda.
Notable citizens
- Nuno BettencourtNuno BettencourtNuno Duarte Gil Mendes Bettencourt is a Portuguese guitarist and singer-songwriter best known for his role as the lead guitarist of the Boston rock band Extreme whose hits include the acoustic ballads "More Than Words" and "Hole Hearted"...
, guitar player of the rock band ExtremeExtreme (band)Extreme is an American rock band, headed by frontmen Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt, that reached the height of their popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.Among some of Extreme's musical influences are Queen and Van Halen...