Angra do Heroísmo Bay
Encyclopedia
Angra do Heroísmo Bay or Baía de Angra do Heroísmo is a body of water
near the city of Angra do Heroísmo
on the island of Terceira
in the Azores
, Portugal
. Its waters have an average depth of forty metres.
The bay is of historical importance because, since the fifteenth century, it was the port where merchant ships returning from the East Indies
and Brazil
, full of gold, silver, porcelain, spices, rare woods, and other goods, anchored and waited for an armed escort to accompany them the rest of the way to Portugal. In the bay at Angra, ships were sheltered from the prevailing north and northwest winds; only storms generating winds from the opposite direction, the south or southeast, posed a threat. Nonetheless, there were numerous shipwrecks when adverse winds drove the merchantmen against Terceira's lee shore. There is a wealth of documentation in local archives as well as a lively oral tradition attesting to the fact that many ships foundered in these waters.
and batteries of cannons at the Castle of St. Sebastian, which lies closer to the city.
The voyages of Christopher Columbus
and, later, those of Vasco da Gama
(whose brother, Paulo da Gama
, is buried in the Convent of St. Francis at Angra) established the Azores as the crossroads of the Atlantic, and the early trading expeditions reinforced the importance of Terceira island, and particularly the Bay of Angra, as vital steps in the safe return of ships from the East.
This importance is evidenced by the creation, by King Manuel I
of Portugal, of the protective fleet called the "Armada of the Islands", and by the issuance of "rules for ships from India in the Azores and the institution of arbiters of customs" (or "maritime magistrates"), both in 1520.
During the reign of John III of Portugal
, around 1527, the position of Purveyor of the Fleets was instituted, with headquarters in Angra. (This position was first assumed by Pero Anes do Canto
, and it remained in the hands of the Canto family until the beginning of the nineteenth century.) The Purveyor, whose house was strategically close to the bay of Angra and the customs pier, had responsibility for devising a surveillance system that would detect the approach of ships coming from the West, for protecting the ships from pirates, and for providing their supplies and provisions.
The system required a coordinated effort between the Purveyor and other authorities on Terceira and also with the islands in the central and western Azores. Special care was always taken in relation to communication with authorities on the island of Corvo
, the northwesternmost island in the Azores archepelago, who were most likely to spot the arriving ships first. It was their job to send a fast courier boat to Angra with news of the sighting.
Defense of the ships was accomplished by the presence, in the waters of the Azores, of the armed fleet, the Navy, consisting of a variable number of ships that shuttled between Lisbon
and Terceira with regular stops in the Berlengas
islands. On Terceira, the admiralty constantly made itself aware of news related to pirates, then posted warships near Corvo for about four months at a time. The convoys would form-up and continue to Lisbon when the last ship of the East Indian trade arrived that year.
This approach made the Bay of Angra an essential part of this lucrative business.
Geological evidence points to the bay being formed by basaltic lavas, much eroded and covered by pyroclastic surges, tuffs of palagonite-like matter, material formed by the interaction of molten basalt and cold seawater, and consolidated volcanic ash ejected from vents during volcanic eruptions, all from the volcano that helped define the bay itself, the looming presence called Monte Brasil. These depositions originated under water and are very solid and compact.
On top of these volcanic layers are sedimentary materials, sometimes of great thickness, formed mainly of sand, pebbles, and large blocks of rolled palagonite with abundant cavities. Consequently, there are many submarine springs that emit brackish water.
This bay, given its origin, has quite a diverse morphology, presenting sandbars, vertical walls (some more than 40 metres high), large blocks, fields of small and medium stones, caves, pebbles scattered on sandy bottoms, etc.
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
near the city 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...
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...
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...
, Portugal
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...
. Its waters have an average depth of forty metres.
The bay is of historical importance because, since the fifteenth century, it was the port where merchant ships returning from the East Indies
East Indies
East Indies is a term used by Europeans from the 16th century onwards to identify what is now known as Indian subcontinent or South Asia, Southeastern Asia, and the islands of Oceania, including the Malay Archipelago and the Philippines...
and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, full of gold, silver, porcelain, spices, rare woods, and other goods, anchored and waited for an armed escort to accompany them the rest of the way to Portugal. In the bay at Angra, ships were sheltered from the prevailing north and northwest winds; only storms generating winds from the opposite direction, the south or southeast, posed a threat. Nonetheless, there were numerous shipwrecks when adverse winds drove the merchantmen against Terceira's lee shore. There is a wealth of documentation in local archives as well as a lively oral tradition attesting to the fact that many ships foundered in these waters.
History
Given the immense value of the cargo transiting the Azores and the prevalence of pirates in the north Atlantic, the need to defend the city and the bay of Angra was recognized very early. Therefore, during the time when the East Indies trade was active, the Portuguese built and maintained a defensive cordon around the island of Terceira and the bay of Angra, in particular. This was accomplished primarily by setting up a crossfire of cannons, between batteries within the fortress of Monte BrasilMonte Brasil
Monte Brasil is a peninsula located on the south coast of Terceira Island in the central Azores Islands, near the city of Angra do Heroísmo. Monte Brasil is flanked by two bays: Baía de Angra do Heroísmo to the east, from which the city's name is derived, and Baía do Fanal to the west....
and batteries of cannons at the Castle of St. Sebastian, which lies closer to the city.
The voyages 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...
and, later, those of Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama
Vasco da Gama, 1st Count of Vidigueira was a Portuguese explorer, one of the most successful in the Age of Discovery and the commander of the first ships to sail directly from Europe to India...
(whose brother, Paulo da Gama
Paulo da Gama
Paulo da Gama was a Portuguese explorer, son of Estevão da Gama and the older brother of Vasco da Gama.He was a member of the first voyage from Europe to India, led by his brother, commanding the ship São Rafael, which would be later scuttled in the return trip. Paulo da Gama joined the São Gabriel...
, is buried in the Convent of St. Francis at Angra) established the Azores as the crossroads of the Atlantic, and the early trading expeditions reinforced the importance of Terceira island, and particularly the Bay of Angra, as vital steps in the safe return of ships from the East.
This importance is evidenced by the creation, by King Manuel I
Manuel I of Portugal
Manuel I , the Fortunate , 14th king of Portugal and the Algarves was the son of Infante Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, , by his wife, Infanta Beatrice of Portugal...
of Portugal, of the protective fleet called the "Armada of the Islands", and by the issuance of "rules for ships from India in the Azores and the institution of arbiters of customs" (or "maritime magistrates"), both in 1520.
During the reign of John III of Portugal
John III of Portugal
John III , nicknamed o Piedoso , was the fifteenth King of Portugal and the Algarves. He was the son of King Manuel I and Maria of Aragon, the third daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile...
, around 1527, the position of Purveyor of the Fleets was instituted, with headquarters in Angra. (This position was first assumed by Pero Anes do Canto
Pero Anes do Canto
Pero Anes do Canto was a Portuguese nobleman, who was born at Guimarães, Portugal and died at Angra do Heroísmo, on the island of Terceira in the Azores...
, and it remained in the hands of the Canto family until the beginning of the nineteenth century.) The Purveyor, whose house was strategically close to the bay of Angra and the customs pier, had responsibility for devising a surveillance system that would detect the approach of ships coming from the West, for protecting the ships from pirates, and for providing their supplies and provisions.
The system required a coordinated effort between the Purveyor and other authorities on Terceira and also with the islands in the central and western Azores. Special care was always taken in relation to communication with authorities on the island of Corvo
Corvo
-Portugal:* Rio Corvo, a tributary of the Ceira River in the Serra do Acor, PortugalIn the archipelago of the Azores:* Corvo Island, an island in the Western Group of islands** Vila do Corvo, the only municipality on the island of Corvo-People:...
, the northwesternmost island in the Azores archepelago, who were most likely to spot the arriving ships first. It was their job to send a fast courier boat to Angra with news of the sighting.
Defense of the ships was accomplished by the presence, in the waters of the Azores, of the armed fleet, the Navy, consisting of a variable number of ships that shuttled between Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
and Terceira with regular stops in the Berlengas
Berlengas
The Berlengas archipelago is a group of small islands 10 to 15 kilometers off the Portuguese coast, west of the town of Peniche.-History:Human occupation on Berlenga Grande dates back to antiquity: the islands are referred to in Ptolemy's Geography as Λονδοβρίς...
islands. On Terceira, the admiralty constantly made itself aware of news related to pirates, then posted warships near Corvo for about four months at a time. The convoys would form-up and continue to Lisbon when the last ship of the East Indian trade arrived that year.
This approach made the Bay of Angra an essential part of this lucrative business.
Geography
On top of these volcanic layers are sedimentary materials, sometimes of great thickness, formed mainly of sand, pebbles, and large blocks of rolled palagonite with abundant cavities. Consequently, there are many submarine springs that emit brackish water.
This bay, given its origin, has quite a diverse morphology, presenting sandbars, vertical walls (some more than 40 metres high), large blocks, fields of small and medium stones, caves, pebbles scattered on sandy bottoms, etc.
Fauna
Some of the marine species present in the bay include:
|
Hermit crab Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the superfamily Paguroidea. Most of the 1100 species possess an asymmetrical abdomen which is concealed in an empty gastropod shell that is carried around by the hermit crab.-Description:... (Calcinus tubularis Calcinus tubularis Calcinus tubularis is a species of hermit crab. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea and around islands in the Atlantic Ocean, where it lives below the intertidal zone. Its carapace, eyestalks and claws are marked with numerous red spots. C. tubularis and its sister species, C... ) Octopus The octopus is a cephalopod mollusc of the order Octopoda. Octopuses have two eyes and four pairs of arms, and like other cephalopods they are bilaterally symmetric. An octopus has a hard beak, with its mouth at the center point of the arms... (Octopus vulgaris) Jellyfish Jellyfish are free-swimming members of the phylum Cnidaria. Medusa is another word for jellyfish, and refers to any free-swimming jellyfish stages in the phylum Cnidaria... (Pelagia noctiluca Pelagia noctiluca Pelagia noctiluca is a jellyfish in the family Pelagiidae. In Latin, Pelagia means "of the sea", nocti stands for night and luca means light thus Pelagia noctiluca can be described as a marine organism with the ability to glow in the dark.This species of jellyfish commonly known as the mauve... ) Stingray The stingrays are a group of rays, which are cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. They are classified in the suborder Myliobatoidei of the order Myliobatiformes, and consist of eight families: Hexatrygonidae , Plesiobatidae , Urolophidae , Urotrygonidae , Dasyatidae , Potamotrygonidae The... (Taeniura grabata) Trachurus Jack mackerels are marine fishes in the Trachurus genus of the Carangidae family. The type species of the genus is the Atlantic horse mackerel, Trachurus trachurus. The name of the genus is derived from the Greek word trachys, meaning "rough", and the Greek word oura, meaning "tail"... ) |
Flora
In all, more than 128 species are present in the bay, including:- Sea anemone (Alicia mirabilis)
- Red algae (Asparagopsis armata)
- Brown algaeBrown algaeThe Phaeophyceae or brown algae , is a large group of mostly marine multicellular algae, including many seaweeds of colder Northern Hemisphere waters. They play an important role in marine environments, both as food and for the habitats they form...
(Dictyota dichotomaDictyotalesDictyotales is a large order in the brown algae . Members of this order generally prefer warmer waters than other brown algae. One genus in this order is calcareous, Padina, the only calcareous member of this phylum....
) - Ascidians-flower (corolla Distaplia)
- Moss (Pterocladiella capillacea)
- Green sea grass (Ulva intestinalis)
- Sea lettuce (Ulva rigidis)
Places of archaeological interest
The following locations are of archaeological interest:- The Underwater Archaeological Park of the Bay of Angra do Heroísmo
- Cemetery of Anchors
- Wreck of the Lidador, a Brazilian steamboat (1878)
- Wreck of the Run'her, a Confederate steamboat (1863)
- Anchorages 'A' through 'G'
See also
- The Customs Pier
- Club Náutico
- Fortaleza de São João Baptista da Ilha Terceira
- Forte de São Sebastião
- Ilhéus das Cabras (Isles of goats)
- Marina de Angra do Heroísmo
- Monte Brasil
- Porto de Pipas
External links
- Shipwrecks of Angra, 1998.
- Photos of Angra do Heroísmo
- Azores, Enchanted Islands
- Underwater Archaeological Park of the Bay of Angra
- PIAS project
- Archaeologists will study bottom of the bay of Angra Heroísmo until 2008. Retrieved from "http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba% C3% ADa_de_Angra_do_Hero% C3% ADsmo"