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Calheta (Azores)
Encyclopedia
Calheta is a municipality on the island of São Jorge, in the Portuguese
autonomous region of Azores
. The municipality includes the eastern portion of the island of São Jorge and borders the municipality of Velas
; Calheta has a population of 3,972 inhabitants and an area of 126.3 km².
, a Flemish
pioneer of Azorean colonization who traveled and settled in Faial
, Corvo
and Terceira). His final resting place was in the settlement of Topo, which he founded with other Flemish settlers; he died in 1500, and was buried in the chapel-annex to the Solar dos Tiagos. Topo was later elevated to municipality and its village the municipal seat, on September 12, 1510.
Meanwhile other settlements developed rapidly due to a number of sheltered anchorages and the fertility of the small fajãs where colonists established homes. Fajã de São João, one of this settlements along the southern coast, had settlers as early as 1550 (this is conjecture established from the Chapel of São João. In Topo, the community established a port in order to establish trade with Terceira (at that time the largest municipal and commercial center in the Azores). Other settlements radiated from the coastal beachheads and the growth of the number of colonists justified the de-annexation of the parish of Calheta from the municipality of Velas
. Demonstrating an economic vitality (based on its vineyards, cereal crops, yams and the exploration of lichen
roccella
which was being exported to Flanders for use in the dye industry), it was elevated to the status of on June 3, 1534, by decree of King John III of Portugal
.
Other calamities have affected the early inhabitants: several dry seasons, numerous earthquakes and volcanic eruptions (1580–1757, 1808 and 1980), and on July 21, 1694 there occurred another tragic conflict that would later be known as the Motim dos Inhames ("The Taro Revolt
"). It was a peasant uprising against an imposed tax or tithe
on taro production. Taro
was a staple of the peasant class, and tax on these tuberculoses generated a large revenue for the administrative government. After three years of leniency, in 1692, Francisco Lopes Beirão (the local sheriff) ordered his agents to pressure the locals to pay their "tax". This created tensions between the political and peasants classes, exploding into hostility in the community of Ribeira da Areia between citizens in the northern half of Calheta and tax-collectors from the village of Velas. Although this conflict was settled by the local vicar, Francisco Lopes Beirão petitioned the King, and he sent João de Soveral e Barbuda to São Jorge to determine and imprison the responsible parties. In the end many peasants, their supporters from the Council in Calheta and residents of Topo were interrogated, imprisoned and required to pay outstanding taxes. Many became penniless, died of famine, or were imprisoned in the Castle of São João Baptista, the prison in Angra do Heroísmo
or the jail across the Canal in Horta
. Future Calhetenses would use the leaves of the taro on their rifles in honour of the events.
The parochial Church of Santa Catarina was constructed following a fire that destroyed the original chapel (January 8, 1639), that dated back to the early 16th Century. As a convent was ordered constructed, on May 12, 1718, the church was also remodeled.
The Calhetense settlers did not escape the attacks and destruction caused by pirates in the waters of the archipelago. English and French privateers, in addition to Turkish and Algerian (Barbary Coast
) pirates in the Canal between Pico
and São Jorge, persisted during the 16-17th Centuries. In 1597, a section of the squadron commanded by the Count of Essex, attacked the village of Calheta. To repel the invaders, the inhabitants, hurrelled rocks (their only defense) from the cliffs at the English privateers attempting to reach the shore. During the battle, one Portuguese soldier, Simão Gote was able to rob the ensign of their flag, and escape with it victoriously. In the 18th Century, the French corsair René Duguay-Trouin
pillaged the settlements in São Jorge, and in 1816 an Algerian pirate, while attempting to hunt and capture a merchant clipper was shelled by the canons in the local fort in Calheta.
The sheltered cove was elaborated in 1755, and a lighthouse constructed in 1873 to improve navigation and shipping.
In addition to the parochial church, the Church of Santo António was completed in 1816, along the Rua de Baixo which connects Calheta and Ribeira Seca.
The village was destroyed by the July 9, 1757 earthquake, which became known as Mandado de Deus ("Sent by God"); the earthquake (which was located off the northern coast of Calheta) was responsible for the complete destruction of the homes in the municipality (from Topo
to the parish of Calheta and the death of 1200 people on the island.
The local philharmonic band was one of the earliest organizations to develop, and dates back to 1868.
A water network was completed in the principal urbanized area around 1878, with the completion of the local fountain.
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...
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...
. The municipality includes the eastern portion of the island of São Jorge and borders the municipality of Velas
Velas
Velas is a municipality in the São Jorge Island, in the Portuguese autonomous region of Azores. The municipality encompasses the western portion of the island, with its municipal seat in the town of Velas on the south coast and divided into six parishes....
; Calheta has a population of 3,972 inhabitants and an area of 126.3 km².
History
The first reference to São Jorge was in 1439, but it wasn't until 1470, when colonial nuclei dotted the southern and western coast: the first of these colonists were believed to have come from northern Europe. The municipality of Calheta, whose first settlers arrived around the 1480s (principally in the area of Topo, but later into the sheltered coves and fajãs) along the southern coast of the island). The island of São Jorge was ceded to João Vaz Corte-Real on May 4, 1483, becoming the first Captain-Donatario, thus initiating the primary settlement of the island. This phase of development is notable for the settlement of Willem van der HaegenWillem van der Haegen
Willem van der Haegen, at times Willelm van der Hagen or Willelm van der Haagen , transliterated to the Portuguese as Guilherme da Silveira , was a Flemish nobleman, entrepreneur, explorer and pioneer in the settlement of the islands of the...
, a Flemish
Flemish
Flemish can refer to anything related to Flanders, and may refer directly to the following articles:*Flemish, an informal, though linguistically incorrect, name of any kind of the Dutch language as spoken in Belgium....
pioneer of Azorean colonization who traveled and settled in Faial
Faial Island
Faial Island , also known in English as Fayal, is a Portuguese island of the Central Group of the Azores....
, 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...
and Terceira). His final resting place was in the settlement of Topo, which he founded with other Flemish settlers; he died in 1500, and was buried in the chapel-annex to the Solar dos Tiagos. Topo was later elevated to municipality and its village the municipal seat, on September 12, 1510.
Meanwhile other settlements developed rapidly due to a number of sheltered anchorages and the fertility of the small fajãs where colonists established homes. Fajã de São João, one of this settlements along the southern coast, had settlers as early as 1550 (this is conjecture established from the Chapel of São João. In Topo, the community established a port in order to establish trade with Terceira (at that time the largest municipal and commercial center in the Azores). Other settlements radiated from the coastal beachheads and the growth of the number of colonists justified the de-annexation of the parish of Calheta from the municipality of Velas
Velas
Velas is a municipality in the São Jorge Island, in the Portuguese autonomous region of Azores. The municipality encompasses the western portion of the island, with its municipal seat in the town of Velas on the south coast and divided into six parishes....
. Demonstrating an economic vitality (based on its vineyards, cereal crops, yams and the exploration of lichen
Lichen
Lichens are composite organisms consisting of a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus with a photosynthetic partner , usually either a green alga or cyanobacterium...
roccella
Roccella tinctoria
Roccella tinctoria is a species of fungus in the genus Roccella, homotypic synonym of Lecanora tinctoria Czerwiak., 1849. It was first described by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in 1805. It has the following varieties:...
which was being exported to Flanders for use in the dye industry), it was elevated to the status of on June 3, 1534, by decree of King 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...
.
Other calamities have affected the early inhabitants: several dry seasons, numerous earthquakes and volcanic eruptions (1580–1757, 1808 and 1980), and on July 21, 1694 there occurred another tragic conflict that would later be known as the Motim dos Inhames ("The Taro Revolt
Taro Revolt
The Taro Revolt , or the Taro Mutiny , is the name given to the 17th-century peasant conflicts that occurred on the island of São Jorge—particularly the municipality of Calheta, in the parishes of Ribeira Seca and Norte Pequeno—in protest to the annual payment of tithes for the production of taro,...
"). It was a peasant uprising against an imposed tax or tithe
Tithe
A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
on taro production. Taro
Taro
Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...
was a staple of the peasant class, and tax on these tuberculoses generated a large revenue for the administrative government. After three years of leniency, in 1692, Francisco Lopes Beirão (the local sheriff) ordered his agents to pressure the locals to pay their "tax". This created tensions between the political and peasants classes, exploding into hostility in the community of Ribeira da Areia between citizens in the northern half of Calheta and tax-collectors from the village of Velas. Although this conflict was settled by the local vicar, Francisco Lopes Beirão petitioned the King, and he sent João de Soveral e Barbuda to São Jorge to determine and imprison the responsible parties. In the end many peasants, their supporters from the Council in Calheta and residents of Topo were interrogated, imprisoned and required to pay outstanding taxes. Many became penniless, died of famine, or were imprisoned in the Castle of São João Baptista, the prison in 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...
or the jail across the Canal in 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...
. Future Calhetenses would use the leaves of the taro on their rifles in honour of the events.
The parochial Church of Santa Catarina was constructed following a fire that destroyed the original chapel (January 8, 1639), that dated back to the early 16th Century. As a convent was ordered constructed, on May 12, 1718, the church was also remodeled.
The Calhetense settlers did not escape the attacks and destruction caused by pirates in the waters of the archipelago. English and French privateers, in addition to Turkish and Algerian (Barbary Coast
Barbary Coast
The Barbary Coast, or Barbary, was the term used by Europeans from the 16th until the 19th century to refer to much of the collective land of the Berber people. Today, the terms Maghreb and "Tamazgha" correspond roughly to "Barbary"...
) pirates in the Canal between Pico
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...
and São Jorge, persisted during the 16-17th Centuries. In 1597, a section of the squadron commanded by the Count of Essex, attacked the village of Calheta. To repel the invaders, the inhabitants, hurrelled rocks (their only defense) from the cliffs at the English privateers attempting to reach the shore. During the battle, one Portuguese soldier, Simão Gote was able to rob the ensign of their flag, and escape with it victoriously. In the 18th Century, the French corsair René Duguay-Trouin
René Duguay-Trouin
René Trouin, Sieur du Gué, usually called René Duguay-Trouin, was a famous French corsair of Saint-Malo. He had a brilliant privateering and naval career and eventually became "Lieutenant-General of the Naval Armies of the King" , and a Commander in the Order of Saint-Louis...
pillaged the settlements in São Jorge, and in 1816 an Algerian pirate, while attempting to hunt and capture a merchant clipper was shelled by the canons in the local fort in Calheta.
The sheltered cove was elaborated in 1755, and a lighthouse constructed in 1873 to improve navigation and shipping.
In addition to the parochial church, the Church of Santo António was completed in 1816, along the Rua de Baixo which connects Calheta and Ribeira Seca.
The village was destroyed by the July 9, 1757 earthquake, which became known as Mandado de Deus ("Sent by God"); the earthquake (which was located off the northern coast of Calheta) was responsible for the complete destruction of the homes in the municipality (from Topo
Topo (Azores)
Topo, also known as Nossa Senhora do Rosário , is a civil parish on the northeastern corner of the municipality Calheta on the island of São Jorge...
to the parish of Calheta and the death of 1200 people on the island.
The local philharmonic band was one of the earliest organizations to develop, and dates back to 1868.
A water network was completed in the principal urbanized area around 1878, with the completion of the local fountain.
Geography
The five parishes of Calheta are:- Calheta
- Norte PequenoNorte PequenoNorte Pequeno is a civil parish in the municipality of Calheta in the Portuguese Azores, located on the northern coast of the island of São Jorge...
- Ribeira SecaRibeira Seca (Calheta)Ribeira Seca is a parish in the municipality of Calheta in the Portuguese Azores. In 2001, the population hovered around 1105, within an administrative area of 53.77 km² ....
- Santo AntãoSanto Antão (Calheta)Santo Antão is a civil parish in the eastern half of the municipality of Calheta, that extends from northern to southern coast of the island of São Jorge in the Azores. The population in 2001 was 921, its density is 28.48/km2 and the area is 32.34 km2....
- TopoTopo (Azores)Topo, also known as Nossa Senhora do Rosário , is a civil parish on the northeastern corner of the municipality Calheta on the island of São Jorge...
- it was the first municipality established on the island of São Jorge (currently less than 500 inhabitants), pioneered by a group of Flemish settlers, captained by Willem van der HaegenWillem van der HaegenWillem van der Haegen, at times Willelm van der Hagen or Willelm van der Haagen , transliterated to the Portuguese as Guilherme da Silveira , was a Flemish nobleman, entrepreneur, explorer and pioneer in the settlement of the islands of the...
.