Monday, January 1, 2024

💚💚 Parish of Santa Cruz (Municipality of Lagoa)


SANTA CRUZ
(PARISH OF LAGOA MUNICIPALITY)
37°45′1″N 25°32′27″W

Santa Cruz is a parish in the municipality of Lagoa, with an area of ​​14.26 km² and 3,528 inhabitants (2021 census).

Heritage: Main Church, Franciscan Convent, Municipal Palace, Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Cabo and Chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, fountains and several houses with regional architecture

Other Locations: Garden of the Convento dos Franciscanos, viewpoint on the Lagoa do Fogo road, Chã de Marcela picnic park and seafront.

It is the main parish of the municipality and the most rural. Here are some of the most important natural spaces in the village, such as the Lagoa do Fogo viewpoint and Chã da Marcela, with its forest and picnic park.
The history of this parish dates back to the 15th century, but we are left with a date of extreme importance for its destiny: April 22, 1522. On that day, D. João III elevated Lagoa to the category of town and this parish became the seat of the municipality.
The main church, dedicated to the Holy Cross, was built in the 16th century. Its current front, however, dates back to 1844. Inside, the vaults of the main chapel and the Chapel of the Santíssimo are in Manueline style, and the pulpit, which came from the church and the former convent of S. Francisco de Ponta Delgada, features a candy with the date October 1782.

The Franciscan convent, built in the 18th century, is one of the richest religious buildings in this municipality. Its church, dedicated to Saint Anthony, has a decorated baroque facade. Inside, the carving work on the main altar and an image of Our Lady of the Conception stand out.

Two chapels still deserve mention. The Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Cabo, from the 17th century, has a facade covered in tiles from the same period. The Hermitage of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, dating from the 16th century, is located in the same name and has an altar front covered in Spanish-Arabic tiles and a distaff image of the patron saint.
The natural heritage needs to catch up to the built heritage. On the contrary. The parish has an extraordinary beauty. Enchanting landscapes spread everywhere. One of its most interesting points is Chã da Marcela, which houses a small forest park with an extensive area. Various plant species grow there, some endemic (laurel, queiró, heather, cedar do mato, a grape from the mountains) and others brought from outside the island, such as araucaria, cryptomeria, cedars, acacias, and pine trees. There is also a picnic park.

Another point of extraordinary interest is the Lagoa do Fogo viewpoint. The road that gives access allows you to appreciate the entire south and north coast of the island of S. Miguel.º





















































































Convento dos Franciscanos (Convent)
37º44'42.2"N 25º33'47.2"W
Parish: Santa Cruz

In the wake of the 1522 cataclysm that devastated Vila Franca, at the time the capital of São Paulo, a process of gradual relocation of the center of power to the western area of ​​the island was accentuated, benefiting mainly Ponta Delgada, but also Lagoa.

The Convent of Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Lagoa, popularly referred to simply as Convento dos Franciscanos and Convento dos Frades, is located in the city of Lagoa, parish of Santa Cruz, municipality of Lagoa, island of São Miguel, in the Azores.

The Tomaz Borba Vieira Municipal Library is currently located there.

History
It was built by the Order of Friars Minor between the 17th and 18th centuries.

With the extinction of the male religious orders (1834), the complex passed to the civil sphere, starting to house the municipality's public offices, notably services linked to municipal administration, finance and public education, by installing a school in the immobile. At the time of the First World War, it was used as a detention center for German prisoners; during the Second World War, it served as a troop barracks.

Characteristics
It presents itself as a solid and voluminous construction with an attached garden.

The Baroque Chuech, has a facade torn by a portal flanked by twisted columns. Single nave interior, with emphasis on the main altar, in gilded carving, where there is an image of Our Lady of Conception.

The three side altars invocate Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Saint Anthony, and Saint Christ of the Thirds.

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