Ajuda da Bretanha
| Ajuda da Bretanha | |
| Civil Parish (Freguesia) | |
| Official name: Freguesia da Ajuda da Bretanha | |
| Name origin: ajuda da bretanha, Portuguese compound word for help/aid from Briton | |
| Country |  Portugal |
|---|---|
| Autonomous Region |  Azores |
| Group | Central |
| Island | São Miguel |
| Municipality | Ponta Delgada |
| Localities | Ajuda da Bretanha, Lombinha |
| Rivers | Grota da Levada, Grota da Lomba, Grota Grande |
| Center | Ajuda da Bretanha |
| - elevation | 166 m (545 ft) |
| - coordinates | 37°53′55″N 25°45′47″W / 37.89861°N 25.76306°W |
| Highest point | Chã do Marco |
| - elevation | 596 m (1,955 ft) |
| - coordinates | 37°53′53″N 25°45′44″W / 37.89806°N 25.76222°W |
| Lowest point | Sea level |
| - location | Atlantic Ocean |
| - elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Length | 2.72 km (2 mi), Northeast-Southwest |
| Width | 3.42 km (2 mi), Southwest-Northeast |
| Area | 7.1 km2 (3 sq mi) |
| - land | 6.7 km2 (3 sq mi) |
| - water | .00 km2 (0 sq mi) |
| - urban | .40 km2 (0 sq mi) |
| Population | 1,334 (2001) |
| Density | 187.89 / km2 (487 / sq mi) |
| LAU | Freguesia/Junta Freguesia |
| - location | Rua da Igreja, Ajuda da Bretanha, Ponta Delgada |
| Timezone | Azores (UTC-1) |
| - summer (DST) | Azores (UTC0) |
| ISO 3166-2 code | PT- |
| Postal Zone | 9545-027 Ajuda da Bretanha |
| Area Code & Prefix | (+351) 292 XXX XXX |
| Demonym | Micalense |
| Patron Saint | Nossa Senhora da Ajuda |
| Parish Address | Rua da Igreja 9545-027 Ajuda da Bretanha |
| Wikimedia Commons: Ajuda da Bretanha (Ponta Delgada) | |
| Statistics from INE (2001); geographic detail from Instituto Geográfico Português (2010) | |
Ajuda da Bretanha is a northern civil parish in the municipality of Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel in the Azores. It is a relatively new parish, being elevated to this status when the former parish of Bretanha was divided, forming: Ajuda and Pilar. The population in Ajuda was 1334 (in 2001), in area covering 7.1 km² (187.89 inhabitants per km²) in the northernmost parish in Ponta Delgada.
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[edit] History
There still exists some controversy relative to the origin of Bretanha in the local lexicon. The parish received its name from the original Bretanha of the older parish, and in accordance with popular tradition, it was adopted by the local Portuguese colonists to refer to the original settlers of the area. It is assumed that the area was originally inhabited between the end of the 15th Century and/or the beginning of the 16th Century.[1] During this period the concentration of colonists from Great Britain, or Brittany, may have led to the local designation.[1] Even today, the area that was the parish of Bretanha is populated by people whose ethnicity are mistaken for British nationals (skin, eye or hair colors primarily), and where the local dialect is punctuated by diction and intonations reminiscent of French.[1] When the area of Ajuda was de-annexed to form the current administration the current name was adopted; a compound phrase which means: Ajuda from [the parish formerly known as] Bretanha.
The parochial church is dedicated to the invocation of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, and referenced in Gaspar Frutuoso's Saudades da Terra. Constructed at the end of the 18th Century (1770 specifically), it was constructed on the site of an older church constructed of straw, two centuries before.[1] It is a church designed in the typical Baroque-style of the older generations, that includes a symmetrical front-facade, and bell tower; its interior consists of an ample sacristy, with a baptismal fountain constructed of pumice.[1] A ancient image of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, holding the Christ Child, has survived many years, and is sheltered in this church.
[edit] Geography
The parish borders the crater of Sete Cidades to the south and Atlantic Ocean to the north, falls between Mosteiros and Pilar da Bretanha; coastal cliffs dominate the ocean border, while sloping towards the crater (an area that includes mostly forested tracts and pasturelands).
[edit] Culture
[edit] Festivities
During the month of August, Ajuda celebrates the feast of Nossa Senhora dos Anjos, with its principal religious ceremonies on August 15. From the parochial church, apart from celebrating masses in Her honor, a typical religious procession winds through the roads in the parish, accompanied by the traditional philharmonic bands.[1]
In addition, the tradition festivals from the Divine Holy Spirit are celebrated annually from the beginning of May to the end of June in the traditional impérios of the parish.[1]
At the beginning of the year, the feast day of Saint Anthony the Great is also celebrated on January 17.
[edit] References
- Notes
- Sources
DRC, ed. (2010) (in Portuguese). Festas das ilhas de São Miguel e Santa Maria 2010 [Festivals of the islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria 2010]. Ponta Delgada, Azores: Direcção Regional das Comunidades. pp. 10–11.
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