Publication Date
2009
Categories
"Port of call of the western seas", according to the historian Frutuoso, Angra is a maritime port and the Atlantic platform of the Portuguese and European overseas discoveries of the 15th and 16th centuries. Such a historical heritage shaped Angra, whose city centre has been classified as a World Heritage Site since 1983. Located within a small valley surrounded by higher ground to the east and northwest, Angra has the shape of a shell facing the ocean, to the south. The first part of the city to be settled, circa the 1460s, was on a hillock, further inland, facing the ocean. It was here that Álvaro Martins Homem (future 1st captain of Praia) first settled. He went on to lead the occupation and to erect the first milling infrastructures. After 1474, when Terceira was divided into two captaincies, the 1st captain of Angra, João Vaz Corte, also chose this higher area of the city to construct what was known as the Castle of São Luís or of the Mills, a castle which does not exit today.
At this time, settlers reached the ocean by using at least two streets in the down town, Rua Direita and Rua do Espírito Santo. These were connected to other steep, winding paths leading to the castle. From the 1470s to the beginning of the 16th century, the city became increasingly concentrated within the valley, as the characteristic old urban centre began to take shape. The municipality was founded and the first city hall building was erected in the valley. The Linschoten map of 1589 shows clearly that the city was organized according to the Orders of the Kingdom being implemented since the middle of the 15th century.
Land for settlement in the Azores was first attributed to the captains. After, the royal edict of 23 August 1518 further adjusted the distribution of the land granted. The only known deed of land for houses referring to Angra is dated 12 April 1504. According to this document, a longitudinal plot of land measuring 232,09/333,96 m2 was connected to another, measuring 201,81/290,4 m2, in the area of San Salvador (later, the area of the Sé, the seat of the diocese). Indeed, although these refer to remote times and insufficient data, the lots in question are bigger than those registered in 1500 for the centre of Ponta Delgada. Joining public and private construction, the city of Angra took shape, with particular exuberance from the end of the 16th century to the first half of the 17th century, the period that witnessed the edification of some of its oldest buildings. Among those that are still standing today are the Diocesan Mother Church (1570-1642), the Church of the Jesuits (post 1570-1658) whose 17th century building was the seat of the General Captaincy (1766-1830), the Remédios Manor House and Chapel, which was the seat of the purveyor of the Armada in the 17th century, and the fort of São Filipe (1594-1642), later named after Saint John the Baptist.
This period of vigorous construction finds its parallel in the dynamic activity of a port where the vessels following the Cape Route and the Indian Trade Route would stop, looking for provisions, repairs and protection. The creation of the post of purveyor of the Armada circa 1527, which was in the hands of the Canto family until its extinction in the 18th century, is an unequivocal sign of the maritime function of Angra. As a result, Angra also became the centre for the redistribution of exotic products from far away, as well as an important centre for commercial information from overseas. This explains the dynamic flux of peoples and foreign merchants that crossed paths there, coming from the most varied places.
Given this context and its role in aiding and supplying trading vessels, Angra was named the first city of the Azores, as early as 21 August 1534, after having been, until the 1480s, the only municipal centre for jurisdiction in Terceira. On 3 November of the same year, it is also designated seat of the Diocese of all the islands of the Azores. Its strategic and political importance is further confirmed when it headed the famous movement against Philip of Spain's rule of Portugal. Although its authorities were not the first to acclaim Dom António and the Prior of Crato, a chain of command and information was established which allowed for a more prolonged resistance (until 1583).
Once the reign of Philip of Spain was established, after the Battle of Mós in 1583, Angra became a political capital of the archipelago, with the instatement of the main representative of Spanish rule, the field master or governor, who limited established rights and freedom through military rule and administrative measures that caused consternation during the first years. Important seat of the overseas empire, Angra received the largest fortress for Spanish defence and vigilance of the Atlantic, as per orders of the newly established power. As military and political policies took precedence over commerce and trade, many foreign merchants fled, without direct, legal access to their exotic products.
In addition, the municipalities of Terceira were required to maintain the military, a requirement that absorbed local revenue and implied the levying of special taxes. This situation had great impact on the Angra city hall, which attempted, early on, to be exempted from these demands, including the tax for housing the military, in order to apply municipal taxes exclusively for the benefit of local citizens and to be allowed to administer its municipal revenue. Although the powers of the field master became less absolute after 1585, political policy continued to be concentrated and based on the previous administrative system. The crown increased its presence and interference in 1625, with the inspection of elections. This was an exceptional measure in the Azores until the process was made uniform in 1765, which led to violent confrontations between factions of local power in Angra. Referring to the period from 1622 to 1624, Drummond says that the urban nobility of Angra became divided into the "upper gang," led by the Cantos and Monizes, who resided in the high land of the city, and the "lower gang," led by the Bettencourts and Pamplonas. The situation became so grave that it involved more than local figures, including the inspector and governor, each taking different sides. Even though the conflict subsided, as late as 1634 the inspector witnessed irregularities and embargos when new officials took office.
When King João IV acclaimed the Angra city hall, with the first attempt made by Francisco Ornelas da Câmara, rival factions made their presence felt once again. Beginning on 26 March 1641, popular uprisings instigated further revolt, including the memorable activity of the "My land" brothers. The attack was organized in a military manner; the governor Dom Álvaro de Viveiros and the Spanish troops took refuge in the fort, which was put under siege. The fort was conquered in March of 1642, after eleven months of resistance under siege, when the new governor of the islands, Manuel de Sousa Pacheco. Given its contribution to the struggle against the Spanish, the decree of 1 April 1643 named Angra the "Always Loyal City of Angra." Maintaining its role as the political centre of the archipelago, Angra was soon affected by the first impact of the centralist/military policies of the king. Local resistance emerged with the arrival of the first governor appointed by King João IV, whose jurisdiction was that of "vice-king," according to Maldonado. As a result, the jurisdiction of the captain and governor of the "castle" of Saint John the Baptist was reduced to the perimeter of the fort in 1645. In addition, in 1650 the local power structure was assured that their opinion would be considered when a governor was to be appointed. The tendency toward administrative centralization seemed to have been overturned.
However, the role of Angra as a political centre of the archipelago was further reinforced when Marquis de Pombal implemented his reforms with the creation of the general captaincy in 1766. The seat of authority in the Azores was located in Angra, therefore, despite the discontentment of the island of São Miguel. Subsequently, Angra would play a central role in the development of the liberal movement in Portugal; as a result, the city was officially named Angra of Heroism.
Bibliography:
DRUMMOND, Francisco Ferreira - Anais da Ilha Terceira. Reimpressão fa-similada da 1ª edição de 1850. S.l.: Governo Autónomo dos Açores - Secretaria Regional de Educação e Cultura, 1981, vol. I; FERNANDES, José Manuel - Angra do Heroísmo. Lisboa: Editorial Presença, 1989; FRUTUOSO, Gaspar - Livro sexto das saudades da terra. 2ª ed. Ponta Delgada: Instituto Cultural de Ponta Delgada, 1978; GREGÓRIO, Rute Dias - "Formas de organização do espaço". In História dos Açores: do descobrimento ao século XX. Dir. científica de Artur Teodoro de Matos, Avelino de Freitas de Meneses e José Guilherme Reis Leite. Angra do Heroísmo: Instituto Açoriano de Cultura, 2008, pp. 111-140; GREGÓRIO, Rute Dias - Pero Anes do Canto: um homem e um património (1473-1556). Ponta Delgada: Instituto Cultural de Ponta Delgada, 2001; GREGÓRIO, Rute Dias - Terra e fortuna: os primórdios da humanização da ilha Terceira (1450?-1550). Ponta Delgada: Centro de História de Além-Mar, 2007; LEITE, Antonieta Reis - "Angra. Um porto no percurso da Cidade Portuguesa". Atlântida. Vol. XLVII (2002) 15-57; MATOS, Artur Teodoro de - "A provedoria das armadas da ilha Terceira e a Carreira da Índia no século XVI". In II Seminário Internacional de História Indo-Portuguesa. Lisboa: Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, 1985, pp. 65-72; MENESES, Avelino de Freitas de - Os Açores e o domínio filipino (1580-1590). Angra do Heroísmo: Instituto Histórico da Ilha Terceira, 1987, 2 vols; MENESES, Avelino de Freitas de - os Açores nas encruzilhadas de Setecentos (1740-1770). I: Poderes e instituições. Ponta Delgada: Universidade dos Açores, 1993, tomo I.
Translated by: Rosa Simas
At this time, settlers reached the ocean by using at least two streets in the down town, Rua Direita and Rua do Espírito Santo. These were connected to other steep, winding paths leading to the castle. From the 1470s to the beginning of the 16th century, the city became increasingly concentrated within the valley, as the characteristic old urban centre began to take shape. The municipality was founded and the first city hall building was erected in the valley. The Linschoten map of 1589 shows clearly that the city was organized according to the Orders of the Kingdom being implemented since the middle of the 15th century.
Land for settlement in the Azores was first attributed to the captains. After, the royal edict of 23 August 1518 further adjusted the distribution of the land granted. The only known deed of land for houses referring to Angra is dated 12 April 1504. According to this document, a longitudinal plot of land measuring 232,09/333,96 m2 was connected to another, measuring 201,81/290,4 m2, in the area of San Salvador (later, the area of the Sé, the seat of the diocese). Indeed, although these refer to remote times and insufficient data, the lots in question are bigger than those registered in 1500 for the centre of Ponta Delgada. Joining public and private construction, the city of Angra took shape, with particular exuberance from the end of the 16th century to the first half of the 17th century, the period that witnessed the edification of some of its oldest buildings. Among those that are still standing today are the Diocesan Mother Church (1570-1642), the Church of the Jesuits (post 1570-1658) whose 17th century building was the seat of the General Captaincy (1766-1830), the Remédios Manor House and Chapel, which was the seat of the purveyor of the Armada in the 17th century, and the fort of São Filipe (1594-1642), later named after Saint John the Baptist.
This period of vigorous construction finds its parallel in the dynamic activity of a port where the vessels following the Cape Route and the Indian Trade Route would stop, looking for provisions, repairs and protection. The creation of the post of purveyor of the Armada circa 1527, which was in the hands of the Canto family until its extinction in the 18th century, is an unequivocal sign of the maritime function of Angra. As a result, Angra also became the centre for the redistribution of exotic products from far away, as well as an important centre for commercial information from overseas. This explains the dynamic flux of peoples and foreign merchants that crossed paths there, coming from the most varied places.
Given this context and its role in aiding and supplying trading vessels, Angra was named the first city of the Azores, as early as 21 August 1534, after having been, until the 1480s, the only municipal centre for jurisdiction in Terceira. On 3 November of the same year, it is also designated seat of the Diocese of all the islands of the Azores. Its strategic and political importance is further confirmed when it headed the famous movement against Philip of Spain's rule of Portugal. Although its authorities were not the first to acclaim Dom António and the Prior of Crato, a chain of command and information was established which allowed for a more prolonged resistance (until 1583).
Once the reign of Philip of Spain was established, after the Battle of Mós in 1583, Angra became a political capital of the archipelago, with the instatement of the main representative of Spanish rule, the field master or governor, who limited established rights and freedom through military rule and administrative measures that caused consternation during the first years. Important seat of the overseas empire, Angra received the largest fortress for Spanish defence and vigilance of the Atlantic, as per orders of the newly established power. As military and political policies took precedence over commerce and trade, many foreign merchants fled, without direct, legal access to their exotic products.
In addition, the municipalities of Terceira were required to maintain the military, a requirement that absorbed local revenue and implied the levying of special taxes. This situation had great impact on the Angra city hall, which attempted, early on, to be exempted from these demands, including the tax for housing the military, in order to apply municipal taxes exclusively for the benefit of local citizens and to be allowed to administer its municipal revenue. Although the powers of the field master became less absolute after 1585, political policy continued to be concentrated and based on the previous administrative system. The crown increased its presence and interference in 1625, with the inspection of elections. This was an exceptional measure in the Azores until the process was made uniform in 1765, which led to violent confrontations between factions of local power in Angra. Referring to the period from 1622 to 1624, Drummond says that the urban nobility of Angra became divided into the "upper gang," led by the Cantos and Monizes, who resided in the high land of the city, and the "lower gang," led by the Bettencourts and Pamplonas. The situation became so grave that it involved more than local figures, including the inspector and governor, each taking different sides. Even though the conflict subsided, as late as 1634 the inspector witnessed irregularities and embargos when new officials took office.
When King João IV acclaimed the Angra city hall, with the first attempt made by Francisco Ornelas da Câmara, rival factions made their presence felt once again. Beginning on 26 March 1641, popular uprisings instigated further revolt, including the memorable activity of the "My land" brothers. The attack was organized in a military manner; the governor Dom Álvaro de Viveiros and the Spanish troops took refuge in the fort, which was put under siege. The fort was conquered in March of 1642, after eleven months of resistance under siege, when the new governor of the islands, Manuel de Sousa Pacheco. Given its contribution to the struggle against the Spanish, the decree of 1 April 1643 named Angra the "Always Loyal City of Angra." Maintaining its role as the political centre of the archipelago, Angra was soon affected by the first impact of the centralist/military policies of the king. Local resistance emerged with the arrival of the first governor appointed by King João IV, whose jurisdiction was that of "vice-king," according to Maldonado. As a result, the jurisdiction of the captain and governor of the "castle" of Saint John the Baptist was reduced to the perimeter of the fort in 1645. In addition, in 1650 the local power structure was assured that their opinion would be considered when a governor was to be appointed. The tendency toward administrative centralization seemed to have been overturned.
However, the role of Angra as a political centre of the archipelago was further reinforced when Marquis de Pombal implemented his reforms with the creation of the general captaincy in 1766. The seat of authority in the Azores was located in Angra, therefore, despite the discontentment of the island of São Miguel. Subsequently, Angra would play a central role in the development of the liberal movement in Portugal; as a result, the city was officially named Angra of Heroism.
Bibliography:
DRUMMOND, Francisco Ferreira - Anais da Ilha Terceira. Reimpressão fa-similada da 1ª edição de 1850. S.l.: Governo Autónomo dos Açores - Secretaria Regional de Educação e Cultura, 1981, vol. I; FERNANDES, José Manuel - Angra do Heroísmo. Lisboa: Editorial Presença, 1989; FRUTUOSO, Gaspar - Livro sexto das saudades da terra. 2ª ed. Ponta Delgada: Instituto Cultural de Ponta Delgada, 1978; GREGÓRIO, Rute Dias - "Formas de organização do espaço". In História dos Açores: do descobrimento ao século XX. Dir. científica de Artur Teodoro de Matos, Avelino de Freitas de Meneses e José Guilherme Reis Leite. Angra do Heroísmo: Instituto Açoriano de Cultura, 2008, pp. 111-140; GREGÓRIO, Rute Dias - Pero Anes do Canto: um homem e um património (1473-1556). Ponta Delgada: Instituto Cultural de Ponta Delgada, 2001; GREGÓRIO, Rute Dias - Terra e fortuna: os primórdios da humanização da ilha Terceira (1450?-1550). Ponta Delgada: Centro de História de Além-Mar, 2007; LEITE, Antonieta Reis - "Angra. Um porto no percurso da Cidade Portuguesa". Atlântida. Vol. XLVII (2002) 15-57; MATOS, Artur Teodoro de - "A provedoria das armadas da ilha Terceira e a Carreira da Índia no século XVI". In II Seminário Internacional de História Indo-Portuguesa. Lisboa: Instituto de Investigação Científica Tropical, 1985, pp. 65-72; MENESES, Avelino de Freitas de - Os Açores e o domínio filipino (1580-1590). Angra do Heroísmo: Instituto Histórico da Ilha Terceira, 1987, 2 vols; MENESES, Avelino de Freitas de - os Açores nas encruzilhadas de Setecentos (1740-1770). I: Poderes e instituições. Ponta Delgada: Universidade dos Açores, 1993, tomo I.
Translated by: Rosa Simas