Fajã Grande

History

The western coast of Flores was slowly occupied in the middle of the 16th Century, with the first population centers forming in the beginning of the 17th Century. The first settlers were captained by João Soares, from the island of São Miguel, and who settled in Lajedo. The fertile land permitted the cultivation of woad, one of the most important commercial ventures in the Azores. As the Azorean chronicler Father Gaspar Frutuoso writing in the 16th Century, indicated, that the colonists benefited from the abundance of water and easy access to the sea:

Although being populated for less than a century, Fajã Grande was already a center of commercial activity; caravels arriving from India were likely to stopover in Fajã Grande since it was one of the first ports to be discovered on their return. On the port of Fajã Grande, Father José António Camões, noted the following about its installations:

The fertility of the land permitted the cultivation of the lichen Rocella tinctoria (Roccellaceae), a plant sought after by many of the commercial interests in the region eager to support the dye industries of Europe. The abundance of fresh water, and port, also made Fajã Grande an important stopover for pirates and privateers; while other communities in the archipelago lived in fear of pirates, Fajã Grande maintained a collaborative relationship and sold consumables to local crews.

It was likely one of the most prosperous communities in the western coast, resulting in its de-annexation from the neighbouring parish of Lajes das Flores, in July 1676. To create the new parish of Fajãs, the local community in Ponta da Fajã was de-annexed from the neighbouring parish of São Pedro de Ponta Delgada and integrated into the new administrative and ecclesiastical division. The formal delimitation of the parish was presided by Father Domingos Nunes Pereira, and the new Fajãs parish priest Father André Alves de Mendonça, on 12/13 July 1676.

Writing around 1720, Father António Cordeiro, affirmed that the Fajãs included about 80 homes. The creation of an autonomous parish in Fajã Grande dates back to 1855, when the administration of the District of Horta attempted to resolve the call by its residents to create a new civil parish. The debate was finally ended by the Civil Governor, Luís Teixeira de Sampaio, who reported on 3 April 1857, that a single parish of Fajã Grande was desirable, owing to its distance from the community of Fajãzinha (then parish seat), the size of its community, and the problem caused by annual floodings along the Riberia Grande river, which regularly cut links annually. Local narratives mention several instances when the Ribeira Grande impeded travel to Fajãzinha, resulting in the faithful having services at the Pedra da Missa (English: Stone of Mass), an elevated point on the river bank where they gathered, prayed and then dispersed after celebrating the liturgy. Governor Sampaio also noted that American whaling and high-seas travel had brought a new importance to the village, also justifying a rethink of the existing administrative divisions. Finally, on 4 April 1861, King Pedro V of Portugal decreed the creation of a new ecclesiastical parish, to include Ponta, Fajã Grande and Cuada, centred on the Church of São José da Fajã Grande (the responsibility of the Bishop of Angra, friar Estêvão de Jesus Maria, dated 20 June 1861. The parochial church was constructed from the small chapel (which was built in 1755, and blessed on 24 May 1757); the new temple was blessed on 1 August 1850, after three years of construction (it was finally completed in 1849). Due to further support from American emigrant José Luís da Silveira, the church was remodelled in 1880. A new church was later constructed in the area of Ponta da Fajã (the Church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo) and remained in use until 1922. Similarly, on 28 September 1969, a chapel in Ponta was completed, to the invocation of Nossa Senhora da Fátima.

Landslides around the area of Ponta da Fajã in 1987 resulted in the declaration of this zone as high risk resulting in the express prohibition of new buildings and future remodeling of existing homes. Further landslides around Covas, in 1991, resulted in new laws to restrict residents in the area, which was ignored by the 20 inhabitants, who have maintained existing buildings .

Physical geography

The village is located in an extensive fajã (a small area of flat fertile land at the bottom of a seaside cliff composed of volcanic and geomorphological debris) on the western coast and delimited by the Rocha da Fajã escarpment (that extends from the northwest to southeast border) and the Ribeira Grande river along the south. The escarpment is an almost sheer cliff face, approximately 600 meters in some places. The rest of Fajã Grande is formed from erosional forces along the Rocha da Fajã, producing a rich soil, although rocky, that is nutrient-rich due to the abundance of water from river tributaries. The escarpment is also a protective feature, permitting the cultivation of orchards and small parcels, and yams in the well-irrigated parcels along the river. Above the Rocha, about 550 metres (1,800 ft), the parish extends onto an irregular plateau covered in natural vegetation and peat. The excessive precipitation in this region, which usually exceeds 4,000 millimetres (160 in) annually, means that the river-valleys are always flooded or inundated. The northwest border extends along the western coast of the parish on a strip of land adjacent to the escarpment.

Situated on the plateau are four large crater lakes, Lagoa da Caldeira Funda (Lake of the Deep Crater), Lagoa da Caldeira Comprida (Lake of the Long Crater) and Lagoa da Caldeira Branca (Lake of the White Crater) which are full throughout the year, and the peat-covered Lagoa da Caldeira Seca (Lake of the Dry Crater) which only occasionally becomes flooded. The Lagoa dos Patos (Lake of the Ducks) is located at the base of the plateau.

Off the western coast, the Monchique Islet, is the westernmost point of the Azores (and Europe).

Human geography

The escarpment surrounds the community composed of three nuclei: Fajã Grande (the largest population), Ponta da Fajã Grande (a narrow strip between the coast and Rocha da Fajã), and Cuada (a settlement located on a plateau bordering the parish of Fajãzinha to the south). Cuada, for many years, was a collection of uninhabited homes, but today it has been rejuvenated by rural tourism, and classified as an Area of Municipal Interest.

The port at Fajã Grande, once an important commercial port, has lost much of its importance and is now used recreationally and, only rarely, for disembarking commercial goods. The entire zone is valued for its coastal waters, attracting both swimmers and surfers from around the island.

Between 1960 and 1980, approximately 60% of the active population emigrated to the United States and Canada.

Economy

Fajã Grande had always been characterized by its land and connection to the sea, resulting in a considerable part of its population employed in the primary industries (about 50%), that included agriculture, livestock husbandry and fishing. Over time, secondary industries began to occupy a greater part of the local activities (but generally hovered around 20% of activities), and primarily tourism, commerce and complimentary services.

Civic

Religious

Culture

Generally, Fajã Grande is typical of rural associativism, an agricultural centre underpinned by the socio-cultural dynamism of sport and social celebration. Fajã Grande includes several collective groups involved in daily life:

Notable citizens

Fajã Grande has, over time, been a cradle for a few personalities, who have become notable in Azorean history, including specifically: