Água de Pau

	Água de Pau
	Civil Parish ( Freguesia )
	A view of Baixo da Areia beach along the southern coastal area, separated from the village of Caloura
	Official name:Freguesia de Água de Pau
	Name origin: Portuguese for water of wood
Country	Portugal
Autonomous Region	Azores
Island	São Miguel
Municipality	Lagoa
Localities	Água de Pau,Caloura, Cerco,Cinzeiro,Galera,Jubileu
Landmark	Convent of Caloura
Center	Água de Pau
- elevation	103 m (338 ft)
- coordinates	37°43′16″N25°30′38″W / 37.72111°N 25.51056°W Coordinates: 37°43′16″N25°30′38″W / 37.72111°N 25.51056°W
Highest point	Pico da Barrosa
- location	Água de Pau Massif
- elevation	922 m (3,025 ft)
- coordinates	37°45′36″N25°29′29″W / 37.76000°N 25.49139°W
Lowest point	Sea level
- location	Atlantic Ocean
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Area	17.46 km2 (7 sq mi)
- urban	.40 km2 (0 sq mi)
Population	3,058 (2011)
Density	175/km2 (453/sq mi)
Settlement	c. 1414
- Parish	28 July 1500
- Civil Parish	c. 1515
LAU	Junta Freguesia
- location	Largo de Santiago
President Junta	Roberto Manuel Pereira de Sousa
President Assembleia	Mónica Isabel Barranqueiro Domingues
Timezone	Azores (UTC-1)
- summer (DST)	Azores (UTC0)
Postal Zone	9560-217
Area Code & Prefix	(+351) 292 XX XX XX
Patron Saint	Nossa Senhora dos Anjos
	The location of the civil parish of Água de Pau within the municipality of Lagoa
	Wikimedia Commons: Água de Pau (Lagoa)

Last updated March 01, 2019

Água de Pau is a civil parish in the municipality of Lagoa in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The population in 2011 was 3,058,^[1] in an area of 17.46 km².^[2]

Concelho, is the Portuguese-language term for municipality, referring to the territorial division. In comparison, the word município refers to the organs of State. This differentiation is still in use in Portugal and some of its former overseas provinces, but is no longer in use in Brazil following the abolition of these organs, in favour of the French prefecture system.

Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country located mostly on the Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe. It is the westernmost sovereign state of mainland Europe. It is bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain. Its territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira, both autonomous regions with their own regional governments.

The Azores, officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores, is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal. It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic Ocean about 1,360 km (850 mi) west of continental Portugal, about 1,643 km (1,021 mi) west of Lisbon, in continental Portugal, about 1,507 km (936 mi) northwest of Morocco, and about 1,925 km (1,196 mi) southeast of Newfoundland, Canada.

History

There are various theories as to the origin of the villa's name, Água de Pau, which literally means water of wood (which can be interpreted as waters where wood exist). The most recognized story pertains to early settlers whom, upon arriving in the vicinity of the coast, noticed a large ravine emptying into the ocean from a swamp. Another story defended locally is that the name derived from the corruption of the phrase "Água do Paul" (paul possibly being a term for swamp or bog), which itself referred to the "Ribeira do Paul", an old ravine that existed in the area behind the older parochial church of Nossa Senhora dos Anjos. The Paul has long since disappeared, and the area behind the church has been cultivated over the decades. Nossa Senhora dos Anjos dos Céus was founded, as was the custom, in the center of the faith community and it is likely that this area was an initial settlement for the community.

A swamp is a wetland that is forested. Many swamps occur along large rivers where they are critically dependent upon natural water level fluctuations. Other swamps occur on the shores of large lakes. Some swamps have hammocks, or dry-land protrusions, covered by aquatic vegetation, or vegetation that tolerates periodic inundation or soil saturation. The two main types of swamp are "true" or swamp forests and "transitional" or shrub swamps. In the boreal regions of Canada, the word swamp is colloquially used for what is more correctly termed a bog, fen, or muskeg. The water of a swamp may be fresh water, brackish water or seawater. Some of the world's largest swamps are found along major rivers such as the Amazon, the Mississippi, and the Congo.

A bog is a wetland that accumulates peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses, and in a majority of cases, sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, quagmire, and muskeg; alkaline mires are called fens. They are frequently covered in ericaceous shrubs rooted in the sphagnum moss and peat. The gradual accumulation of decayed plant material in a bog functions as a carbon sink.

What is known, is that the settlement is concentrated around this church (dating back to about 1444) owing to the abundance of potable water and fertile lands. On 28 July 1515, the parish was incorporated, and the administration elevated, to the status of vila (town) by King D. Manuel I; this municipal seat, its territory comprising about a half a league of land, was de-annexed from the neighboring territory of Vila Franca do Campo.^[3]

Dom Manuel I, the Fortunate, King of Portugal and the Algarves, was the son of Ferdinand, Duke of Viseu, by his wife, the Infanta Beatrice of Portugal. His name is associated with a period of Portuguese history distinguished by significant achievements both in political affairs and in the arts. In spite of Portugal’s small size and population in comparison to the great European land powers of France, Italy and even Spain, the classical Portuguese Armada was the largest in the world at the time. During Manuel's reign Portugal was able to acquire an overseas empire of vast proportions, the first in world history to reach global dimensions. The landmark symbol of the period was the Portuguese discovery of Brazil and the South American subcontinent in April 1500.

Vila Franca do Campo is a town and municipality in the southern part of the island of São Miguel in the Portuguese Autonomous Region of the Azores. The population of the municipality was 11,229 in 2011, in an area of 77.97 km². The town proper, which incorporates the urbanized parishes São Miguel and São Pedro, has 4100 inhabitants.

Its urban nucleus, with its narrow streets, are typical of the colored houses, flowered avenues and traditional homes of the older buildings of Portugal, but following the 1522 Vila Franca earthquake many of these homes were destroyed: reconstruction was completed on 10 November 1525.

The 1522 Vila Franca earthquake, alternately the 1522 Vila Franca landslide refers to the great earthquake and landslides that occurred between 21–22 October 1522, in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo, on the island of São Miguel, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores.

Its administrative role lasted for 330 years, until 24 June 1853, when the parish was incorporated into the municipality of Lagoa, while still retaining the honorific vila title (under Regional Legislative Decree 29/2003/A), to function as a civil parish.

Geography

The town of Água de Pau is located along the southern coast of the island of São Miguel, approximately 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the municipal center of Lagoa. It is bordered on either frontier by the Lagoan parishes of Santa Cruz (to the west) and Ribeira Chã (to the east), and fronts the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The interior headlands form part of the Água de Pau Massif, the central volcanic complex that formed the municipality and central portion of the island. This area is a shared frontier with the parishes of Santa Bárbara and Ribeira Seca in the municipality of Ribeira Grande (to the north) and Água de Alto (to the east) in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo.

São Miguel Island, nicknamed "The Green Island", is the largest and most populous island in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The island covers 760 km² (290 sq mi) and has around 140,000 inhabitants, with 45,000 people resident in Ponta Delgada, the archipelago's largest city.

Santa Cruz is a parish in the municipality of Lagoa in the Azores. The population in 2011 was 3,671, in an area of 14.27 km².

Ribeira Chã is a civil parish in the municipality of Lagoa in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. It is located along a cliff that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. The population in 2011 was 396, in an area of 2.50 km². Ribeira Chã is the smallest parish by population and area in the municipality of Lagoa.

The territory is bisected by the Via-Rapida that transits the territory from Ponta Delgada to Vila Franca do Campo, but also by an older municipal roadway that connects the villages of the municipality, while rural roads intersperse these areas.

Architecture

The village has a rich architectural history, and can be seen in many of the civil and religious buildings erected over the centuries. The water fountains are particularly important vestiges of the historical community. To many of the local residents, these fountains were the sources of water, and centers of community meetings and fraternization. The main Chafariz de Água de Pau, located in the Largo de São Pedro, the fountain Praça da Republica and the water fountain of Nossa Senhora dos Anjos were important markers of community life within the villa.

Civic

Civil Parish Offices (Portuguese : Junta de Freguesia de Água de Pau), the civil parish office building, constructed in the 18th century, by the father of the old Captain-major of the villa of Água de Pau. It is a rectangular building, with a front facade of basalt rock, a private park, and an older chapel, utilized as offices by the local mayor. This building is also referred to as the Casa da Estrela ("House of the Star") because its owner, Floriano Vítor Borges (who was responsible for many of the large public works on the island of São Miguel), placed a copper star on the main door (in the first half of the 20th century).
Residence of the Captain-Major (Portuguese : Casa do Capitão-Mor), located along the Rua da Natividade, the house of the Captain-major was the residence of João Policarpo Botelho de Arruda and is an example of the 18th-19th-century nobleman's residence;

Portuguese is a Western Romance language originating in the Iberian Peninsula. It is the sole official language of Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Angola, and São Tomé and Príncipe. It also has co-official language status in East Timor, Equatorial Guinea and Macau in China. As the result of expansion during colonial times, a cultural presence of Portuguese and Portuguese creole speakers are also found in Goa, Daman and Diu in India; in Batticaloa on the east coast of Sri Lanka; in the Indonesian island of Flores; in the Malacca state of Malaysia; and the ABC islands in the Caribbean where Papiamento is spoken, while Cape Verdean Creole is the most widely spoken Portuguese-based Creole. A Portuguese-speaking person or nation may be referred to as "Lusophone" in both English and Portuguese.

Religious

Chapel of São Pedro (Portuguese : Capela de São Pedro), dedicated in 1907 to the apostle Peter, this chapel is located in the cemetery and was extended in 2000 to include a small museum.
Church of Nossa Senhora dos Anjos (Portuguese : Igreja Paroquial de Água de Pau/Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Anjos), in the parochial church of the village of Água de Pau, it is located on a small hill along the main regional road.^[4] This church was "decorated" by King D. Manuel I, for the services of several local men, but the church was destroyed during the 1522 earthquake.^[4] The new temple was begun in 1525, and completed in the Baroque-style in 1744, expanding the interior to three naves (a royal coat-of-arms and rich panels of azulejos are part of the interior).^[4]
Convent of Caloura (Portuguese : Convento da Caloura/Recolhimento da Caloura), the convent and annex chapel of Our Lady of Pain is located in the resort of the same name.^[3] The main nave of the church is covered in poly-chromatic azulejos, with the main altar covered in gold leaf, in addition to strange images of bearded angels.^[3] Until 1541, the convent was a residence for many nuns, and later replaced by monks owing to constant attacks by pirates in the area.^[3] An image of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres, gifted by the Pope, resided with the nuns and traveled with them to the Convent da Esperança, in Ponta Delgada.^[3] The convent is currently private property.^[3]
Hermitage of Nossa Senhora do Monte (Portuguese : Ermida de Nossa Senhora do Monte), located on a hill in Água de Pau, this chapel was created after a Marian apparition by a local child, Maria Joana Tavares do Canto and her friend (but later approximately 12,000 people witnessed the apparition of the Virgin Mary on July 5, 1918).^[5] The chapel was constructed by the parents of Maria Joana, in a hexagonal design with an image of Nossa Senhora do Monte alongside the altar.^[5] In 1998, with the authorization of the Bishop of the Azores, an illuminated-cross was constructed behind the chapel by the Associação Católica Cristo Jovem.^[5]
Hermitage of São Tiago (Portuguese : Ermida de São Tiago), located in the Largo do Santiago in Água do Pau, it was constructed in 1700 and dedicated to the Apostle James; since 1986, it has been used as a mortuary chapel.^[6]

Culture

Festivities

Água de Pau's principal festival occurs on the assumption day of Nossa Senhora dos Anjos aos Céus, on August 15: the second oldest religious festival on the island of São Miguel. Locals and tourists participate in the event, that includes promessas, petitions to the Virgin Mary and prayers of thanksgiving. A traditional procession runs through the streets of the villa, showing the devotion and faith of the local community. In the following weekend, the traditional Festa do Pescador (Fisherman's Festival) in the seaside resort of Caloura is celebrated. In addition to music and traditional choruses, the popular local cuisine is celebrated with fried Largehead hairtail and mackerel, washed-down with local red wine and accompanied with corn bread. The feast day of Nossa Senhora das Dores is also widely celebrated, on the second or third Sunday in September.

The town also participates in the annual Festivals of the Divine Holy Spirit, celebrated in its six principal impérios or religious niche/chapels: the Império da Festa, the Império da Trindade, the Império de São João, the Império do Coração de Jesus, the Império de São Pedro and the Império de São Tiago.

Celebrations to honor the elevation of Água de Pau to the status of villa, on July 28, are also popular in the community and celebrated in the Largo de São Tiago and Casa da Junta (the parish house).

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References

Notes

↑ Instituto Nacional de Estatística
↑ Eurostat
1 2 3 4 5 6 Noé, Paula (2012). SIPA, ed. "Convento da Caloura/Recolhimento da Caloura (no.PT072101010007)" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
1 2 3 Noé, Paula (2011). SIPA, ed. "Igreja Paroquial de Água de Pau/Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Anjos (IPA.00032456/PT072101010019)" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
1 2 3 Noé, Paula (2013). SIPA, ed. "Ermida de Nossa Senhora do Monte (IPA.00034706)" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
↑ Noé, Paula (2013). SIPA, ed. "Ermida de São Tiago (IPA.00034707)" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico. Retrieved 16 April 2014.

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[1] Instituto Nacional de Estatística

[2] Eurostat

[SIPAR1-3] 1 2 3 4 5 6 Noé, Paula (2012). SIPA, ed. "Convento da Caloura/Recolhimento da Caloura (no.PT072101010007)" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico. Retrieved 25 August 2012.

[SIPAR4-4] 1 2 3 Noé, Paula (2011). SIPA, ed. "Igreja Paroquial de Água de Pau/Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Anjos (IPA.00032456/PT072101010019)" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico. Retrieved 16 April 2014.

[SIPAR2-5] 1 2 3 Noé, Paula (2013). SIPA, ed. "Ermida de Nossa Senhora do Monte (IPA.00034706)" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico. Retrieved 16 April 2014.

[SIPAR3-6] Noé, Paula (2013). SIPA, ed. "Ermida de São Tiago (IPA.00034707)" (in Portuguese). Lisbon, Portugal: SIPA – Sistema de Informação para o Património Arquitectónico. Retrieved 16 April 2014.

Água de Pau
Civil Parish ( Freguesia )
A view of Baixo da Areia beach along the southern coastal area, separated from the village of Caloura
Official name:Freguesia de Água de Pau
Name origin: Portuguese for water of wood

Country	Portugal
Autonomous Region	Azores
Island	São Miguel
Municipality	Lagoa

Localities	Água de Pau,Caloura, Cerco,Cinzeiro,Galera,Jubileu
Landmark	Convent of Caloura

Center	Água de Pau
- elevation	103 m (338 ft)
- coordinates	37°43′16″N25°30′38″W / 37.72111°N 25.51056°W / 37.72111; -25.51056 Coordinates: 37°43′16″N25°30′38″W / 37.72111°N 25.51056°W / 37.72111; -25.51056
Highest point	Pico da Barrosa
- location	Água de Pau Massif
- elevation	922 m (3,025 ft)
- coordinates	37°45′36″N25°29′29″W / 37.76000°N 25.49139°W / 37.76000; -25.49139
Lowest point	Sea level
- location	Atlantic Ocean
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)

Area	17.46 km² (7 sq mi)
- urban	.40 km² (0 sq mi)

Population	3,058 (2011)
Density	175/km² (453/sq mi)

Settlement	c. 1414
- Parish	28 July 1500
- Civil Parish	c. 1515
LAU	Junta Freguesia
- location	Largo de Santiago
President Junta	Roberto Manuel Pereira de Sousa
President Assembleia	Mónica Isabel Barranqueiro Domingues

Timezone	Azores (UTC-1)
- summer (DST)	Azores (UTC0)
Postal Zone	9560-217
Area Code & Prefix	(+351) 292 XX XX XX

Patron Saint	Nossa Senhora dos Anjos

The location of the civil parish of Água de Pau within the municipality of Lagoa
Wikimedia Commons: Água de Pau (Lagoa)