Santa Cruz das Flores
Encyclopedia
Santa Cruz das Flores (ˈsɐ̃tɐ ˈkɾuʒ ðɐʃ ˈfloɾɨʃ) is a municipality in Portugal, located across from the island of Corvo
on the island of Flores, in the western part of the autonomous region of Azores
. With an area of 70.9 km² its approximately 2,500 inhabitants occupy the northern half of the island. It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean
on all sides except south, where it borders Lajes das Flores
.
, in 1548. Transcribing the works of Father Gaspar Frutuoso, Francisco Gomes documented the arrival of the crew of the nau
Nossa Senhor da Misericórida. In the beginning of the 17th-Century Diogo das Chagas
, referred to the villa of Santa Cruz as the "head of the island" and the center of the administration, noting "[the village]...is very well located with the best port on the island...". Going on, he described "...the first road of the Village and from the Porto das Poças another road, which is the last in the village, and where the rest of the roads intersect...". This year marked the municipal administration of the northern half of the island; part of the administrative regalia, was the obligatory construction of a lighthouse.
A primitivo church, dating to the 16th century and constructed in 1627, by vicar Inácio Coelho, who in 1641 provided land for the founding of the Franciscan Convent of São Boaventura, as well as the bread and wine for religious ceremonies.
By the end of 1693, Frair Agostinho de Montalverne, referred to 9000 inhabitants, living in 180 homes, primarily in the village of Santa Cruz
. The original settlers were Portuguese, primarily from the area of the Alentejo and Minho.
Since January 7, 1841, the villa of Santa Cruz, was the judicial center for the dual-administration of Flores and Corvo (the Western archipelago); the justice system was handled from Santa Cruz, although a magistrate came from off-island. Santa Cruz grew and quickly surpassed Lajes
demographically and in its economic position, finally coopting the politics in the two islands in 1895. On the November 18th of that year, the municipality of Lajes was made redundant, and along with Corvo, it became an integrated municipality from 1895 to about 1898. In 1898, the counsel José Luciano de Castro undertook the restoration of the individual administrative divisions.
, located on the eastern coast and near the municipal border with Lajes das Flores
. Apart from a commercial center, it is the home of the island's only airport and secondary school.
To the north, along the only roadway, is the hamlet of Fazenda de Santa Cruz, noted for its Forest Reserve (Reserva Florestal da Fazenda de Santa Cruz), artificial lake and the island's only electrical station (constructed in 1967). The park is home to a small spawning program for trout, provides sites for picnicking, location of deer pens and an abundance of endemic plant species.
At the end of the Regional Road is the community of Ponta Delgada
a coastal community with a line of sight to Corvo
, as well as many sheltered coves and bays. The Gruta dos Encharéus (an enormous coastal grotto 50 meters long by 25 wide), the Gruta do Galo, the islets of Maria Vaz, Cartário, Abrões, Muda, Pão de Açúcar and Furado, as well as the plains of Ponta Delgada, Moinho and Vermelha, among others, are natural symbols of the coast of this municipality.
and oceanic
. It has the highest rainfall of all the Azores’ islands and owing to the influence of the Gulf Stream
the mildest winters of any place so far from the equator. However, the warm Gulf Stream waters mean rain falls on two-thirds of all days during the year and humidity averages around 80 percent.
In addition to the Forest Reserves, the municipality is bisected by a series of pedestrian hiking trails, that skirt the coastal areas and the interior. These trails, at many levels of endurance, include trips that cover: Ponta Delgada, Cedros, Ponta Ruiva, the village of Santa Cruz, Fazenda, Monte, Vales, Ribeira dos Barqueiros and even the smaller parish of Caveira.
The municipality is administered by four civil parishes that include:
Although the population of the municipality has remained relatively stable, it has seen a slow decrease over the years.
Since 2006, the local municipal government has developed many infrastructures, re-qualified many existing buildings, roads and improved the accessibility of existing localities. This included many improvements and expansion of roadways, provision of electrical, water and sanitary services, as well as the construction of new subdivisions (such as the Loteamento da Terça) and beautification programs.
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...
on the island of Flores, in the western part of the autonomous region of 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...
. With an area of 70.9 km² its approximately 2,500 inhabitants occupy the northern half of the island. It is surrounded 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...
on all sides except south, where it borders Lajes das Flores
Lajes das Flores
Lajes das Flores is municipality in the western part of the Azores; it includes the southern portion of the island of Flores and is encircled almost entirely by the Atlantic Ocean except for the north, where it is bordered by Santa Cruz das Flores. It has a population of 1,491 inhabitants and a...
.
History
The earliest record of the northern municipality referred to the village of Santa Cruz das FloresSanta Cruz das Flores (parish)
Santa Cruz das Flores is a civil parish in the municipality of the same name, corresponding to an area of 39,55 km² and population of 1810 inhabitants . It is the largest population center in the Western Group of Portuguese Azores, concentrating all governmental and judicial services of the...
, in 1548. Transcribing the works of Father Gaspar Frutuoso, Francisco Gomes documented the arrival of the crew of the nau
Carrack
A carrack or nau was a three- or four-masted sailing ship developed in 15th century Western Europe for use in the Atlantic Ocean. It had a high rounded stern with large aftcastle, forecastle and bowsprit at the stem. It was first used by the Portuguese , and later by the Spanish, to explore and...
Nossa Senhor da Misericórida. In the beginning of the 17th-Century Diogo das Chagas
Diogo das Chagas
Diogo das Chagas was a Franciscan monk and Azorean historian, author of Espelho Cristalino, an important resource on the colonization of the islands of the central and western groups of the Portuguese Azores, after 1640.-Biography:He was the son of Mateus Coelho da Costa, Captain-major of the...
, referred to the villa of Santa Cruz as the "head of the island" and the center of the administration, noting "[the village]...is very well located with the best port on the island...". Going on, he described "...the first road of the Village and from the Porto das Poças another road, which is the last in the village, and where the rest of the roads intersect...". This year marked the municipal administration of the northern half of the island; part of the administrative regalia, was the obligatory construction of a lighthouse.
A primitivo church, dating to the 16th century and constructed in 1627, by vicar Inácio Coelho, who in 1641 provided land for the founding of the Franciscan Convent of São Boaventura, as well as the bread and wine for religious ceremonies.
By the end of 1693, Frair Agostinho de Montalverne, referred to 9000 inhabitants, living in 180 homes, primarily in the village of Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz das Flores (parish)
Santa Cruz das Flores is a civil parish in the municipality of the same name, corresponding to an area of 39,55 km² and population of 1810 inhabitants . It is the largest population center in the Western Group of Portuguese Azores, concentrating all governmental and judicial services of the...
. The original settlers were Portuguese, primarily from the area of the Alentejo and Minho.
Since January 7, 1841, the villa of Santa Cruz, was the judicial center for the dual-administration of Flores and Corvo (the Western archipelago); the justice system was handled from Santa Cruz, although a magistrate came from off-island. Santa Cruz grew and quickly surpassed Lajes
Lajes das Flores
Lajes das Flores is municipality in the western part of the Azores; it includes the southern portion of the island of Flores and is encircled almost entirely by the Atlantic Ocean except for the north, where it is bordered by Santa Cruz das Flores. It has a population of 1,491 inhabitants and a...
demographically and in its economic position, finally coopting the politics in the two islands in 1895. On the November 18th of that year, the municipality of Lajes was made redundant, and along with Corvo, it became an integrated municipality from 1895 to about 1898. In 1898, the counsel José Luciano de Castro undertook the restoration of the individual administrative divisions.
Geography
Physical Geography
As part of a volcanic island, the municipality of Santa Cruz das Flores offers several scenic vistas, with extinct volcanic cones and lakes in an area generally rugged. It is a natural garden, whose principal activities includes floral-culture and the ubiquitous Azorean dairy industries. The only significantly level ground is occupied by its primary center, Santa Cruz das Flores (parish)Santa Cruz das Flores (parish)
Santa Cruz das Flores is a civil parish in the municipality of the same name, corresponding to an area of 39,55 km² and population of 1810 inhabitants . It is the largest population center in the Western Group of Portuguese Azores, concentrating all governmental and judicial services of the...
, located on the eastern coast and near the municipal border with Lajes das Flores
Lajes das Flores
Lajes das Flores is municipality in the western part of the Azores; it includes the southern portion of the island of Flores and is encircled almost entirely by the Atlantic Ocean except for the north, where it is bordered by Santa Cruz das Flores. It has a population of 1,491 inhabitants and a...
. Apart from a commercial center, it is the home of the island's only airport and secondary school.
To the north, along the only roadway, is the hamlet of Fazenda de Santa Cruz, noted for its Forest Reserve (Reserva Florestal da Fazenda de Santa Cruz), artificial lake and the island's only electrical station (constructed in 1967). The park is home to a small spawning program for trout, provides sites for picnicking, location of deer pens and an abundance of endemic plant species.
At the end of the Regional Road is the community of Ponta Delgada
Ponta Delgada (Santa Cruz das Flores)
Ponta Delgada is a rural civil parish in the Azorean municipality of Santa Cruz das Flores, on the island of Flores. The population in 2001 was 453 inhabitants, occuping an area 18.72 km², along the northern coast from the regional capital...
a coastal community with a line of sight to 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...
, as well as many sheltered coves and bays. The Gruta dos Encharéus (an enormous coastal grotto 50 meters long by 25 wide), the Gruta do Galo, the islets of Maria Vaz, Cartário, Abrões, Muda, Pão de Açúcar and Furado, as well as the plains of Ponta Delgada, Moinho and Vermelha, among others, are natural symbols of the coast of this municipality.
Climate
Santiago des Flores has a climate on the border between humid subtropicalHumid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a climate zone characterized by hot, humid summers and mild to cool winters...
and oceanic
Oceanic climate
An oceanic climate, also called marine west coast climate, maritime climate, Cascadian climate and British climate for Köppen climate classification Cfb and subtropical highland for Köppen Cfb or Cwb, is a type of climate typically found along the west coasts at the middle latitudes of some of the...
. It has the highest rainfall of all the Azores’ islands and owing to the influence of the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
the mildest winters of any place so far from the equator. However, the warm Gulf Stream waters mean rain falls on two-thirds of all days during the year and humidity averages around 80 percent.
Ecoregions/Protected areas
The western and interior parts of the municipality are largely vacant of inhabitants and unspoiled by development, partly responsible for the island's biodiversity being recognized by UNESCO (May 26, 2000). Many of the islands natural resources are located in this region, which includes Morro Alto (the highest point in the municipality and island at 915 meters) and the following natural sites of community interest:- Reserva Florestal de Recreio Luís Paulo Camacho ()
- Reserva Florestal Natural da Caldeira Funda ()
- Reserva Florestal Natural da Caldeira Rasa ()
- Reserva Florestal Natural do Morro Alto e Pico do Sé ()
In addition to the Forest Reserves, the municipality is bisected by a series of pedestrian hiking trails, that skirt the coastal areas and the interior. These trails, at many levels of endurance, include trips that cover: Ponta Delgada, Cedros, Ponta Ruiva, the village of Santa Cruz, Fazenda, Monte, Vales, Ribeira dos Barqueiros and even the smaller parish of Caveira.
Human Geography
The municipality is administered by four civil parishes that include:
- CaveiraCaveiraCaveira is the smallest civil parish on the island of Flores, located within the municipality of Santa Cruz das Flores, in the Azorean archipelago. The population in 2001 was less than 100 inhabitants, in an area of approximately 3.29 km²...
- the smallest parish in size, bordering Lajes das Flores, with less than 100 inhabitants; - CedrosCedros (Santa Cruz das Flores)Portuguese civil parish in the municipality of Santa Cruz das Flores with 152 inhabitants . It is one of the highest parishes in the Azores, since its principal neighborhood is located in a coastal area of immense cliffs and cut by several river valleys that surround the municipality...
- the "middle" parish that straddles the river-valleys of Alagoa Bay and historical location of orchards owing to its micro-climate; - Ponta Delgada - third-largest community on the island, located along the northern coast;
- Santa Cruz das FloresSanta Cruz das Flores (parish)Santa Cruz das Flores is a civil parish in the municipality of the same name, corresponding to an area of 39,55 km² and population of 1810 inhabitants . It is the largest population center in the Western Group of Portuguese Azores, concentrating all governmental and judicial services of the...
- municipal seat, location of the airport and largest population (less than 2000 inhabitants.
Although the population of the municipality has remained relatively stable, it has seen a slow decrease over the years.
Since 2006, the local municipal government has developed many infrastructures, re-qualified many existing buildings, roads and improved the accessibility of existing localities. This included many improvements and expansion of roadways, provision of electrical, water and sanitary services, as well as the construction of new subdivisions (such as the Loteamento da Terça) and beautification programs.
Civic
- Casa-Museu Pimentel de Mesquita ()
- Fábrica da Baleia do Boqueirão ()
- Biblioteca Municipal ()
Religious
- Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Conceição ()
- Igreja da Nossa Senhora de Lourdes ()
- Igreja de São Pedro ()
- Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Pilar ()
- Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Livramento ()
- Convento de São Boaventura ()