Terceira

Geographic Information. With an elliptical shape, Terceira has an area of 381.96 km2. Its length is 29 km and its maximum width 17.5 km. Terceira is situated at 27º 10' West longitude and 38º 40' North latitude. The population of the region stands at 55.833 inhabitants (census 2001).

The island is divided in two municipalities or councils, Angra do HEROÍSMO E Praia da Vitória. Angra is also integrated by 19 localities, of which 5 of them (Sé, Nossa Sehhora de ConceiÇao, Sao Pedro, Sao Bento e Santa Luzía) share the head council, and the rest of them are rural villages: Sao Mateus, Posto Santo, Terra-Cha, Sao Bartolomeu, Cinco Ribeiras, Santa Bárbara, Doze Ribeiras, Serreta, Raminho, Altares, Ribeirinha, Feteira, Porto Judeu e Sao Sebastiao. In the other hand, the municipality of Praia da Vitória is integrated by 11 localities: Biscoitos, Quatro Ribeiras, Agualva, Vila Nova, Sao Brás, Lajes, Santa Cruz da Praia da vitória, Fontinhas, Cabo da Praia, Porto Martins e fonte do Bastardo.

A plateau, cut by the gentle slopes ot the Cume hills, dominates the western end The central area is marked by the large, deep crater called Caldeira de Guilherme Moniz and by many craters with small lakes, while to the east there rises a volcanic cone with a broad crater, the Serra de Santa Barbara, which has the highest altitude in the island, 1,023 meters.

Festivities. The main festivities of this island are:

The Holy Spirit Festivities. The most important celebration of this island is the Festivity of the Holy Spirit, celebrated in the entire archipelago and organized by a chapel named imperio. It is about an important religious feast that has place all Sundays during seven weeks before Christmas and culminates the last Sunday, Whitsuntide.

“São João” Festivities. "São João" is one of patron saints with more devotees in the Azores and it is for this reason is totally dedicated to him since the colonization of the island by the hidalgos.

“Sanjoaninas” Festivities. These festivities are linked to the "São João" Festivities which are the biggest profane festivities of Azores. During the 10 days that lasts the feasts, that begins after the “São João" day, on June 24^th, the city of Angra do Herísmo is filled of happiness. Throughout the years were transformed in bullfighting festivities. It includes cheerful rope bullfights, the setting free of cattle, and bullfights at the bullfighting square. The bullfighters play its role on foot or riding. The programme also includes folk dances, ethnographic parades, "S. João" dances and several sporting events. In the evening there is music and the opportunity to taste the traditional food of the island, at the well-known "tascas" (local taverns)

"Praia" Festivities. This event celebrates the raising of Praia da Vitória from village to town, having as its highlights the gastronomy fair with the presence of several regions from Portugal and some international names, bullfights, exhibitions and concerts. The program also includes several sporting events closely related to the sea. The festivities end with great fireworks.

Bullfights with a rope. Are with no doubt the best popular and traditional festivities of Terceira and unique in the world. The bull is controlled by a rope and a group of men that goes thought the people all over the streets. The tradition of bullfighting on Terceira goes back to the 16th century, due to the fact that at the time there was abundance of cattle (more than 100.000 head) and also due to the origin of the first settlers, which came from regions where bullfighting was a tradition. The presence of Spanish people - "castelhanos" - was another reason. These bullfights are spectacles full of joy and movement for the people of the village.

Carnival Dances on Terceira. "Danças de Entrudo" (Carnival dances) - name given by the locals to the most important and well-known form of folk theatre - take place during Carnival. Hundreds of islanders and visitors follow the dances' itinerary around the island that is celebrated during the month of February, whose themes are related to every day life. The dances are composed by two rows of eight dancers, a "Master" (with a sword or tambourine and a whistle) and a variable number of characters for the "plot", together with a group of musicians. The people from Terceira find in these dances the magic needed to tell what goes on in their souls.

The Feast of the vineyard and wine. It is celebrated in the locality of Biscoitos, commemorating the traditional grape harvest of Terceira. It includes the harvest of grapes, the elaboration by mean of the stepping, and the tasting of the wine that is also related with a sample of traditional gastronomy. It’s celebrated the first week of September.

Angrajazz Festival. Angrajazz is a main-stream jazz festival that is celebrated every year, with the participation of a national group and eventually, out of the program, a local group, being the rest of the groups from North America and Europe. Its main purpose is spreading and developing the appreciation of this kind of music in the Azorean Islands. It takes place during three or four nights in the first week of October.

AngraRock. Is an annual festival of live performances of international and national bands. Its aim is to fill the gap that existed in terms of youth-oriented musical events in Azores. It’s celebrated the first days of September.

International Festival of Big Branch. It is a festival that is realized in the Concej de Praia da Vitória, gathering together the best national and international names of traditional music. It’s celebrated the last weekend of October.

Gastronomy. Terceira has won its fame thanks to its traditional cooking that is constituted by a variety of bases, dinners and sweets. Like for example the delicious and aromatic “Alcantra” (meat, bacon, white wine, and other ingredients cooked in clay pot).

It also has others exquisiteness as the blood sausage, lamps, the cracas or the verdelho wines and also counts with a picturesque museum of the Wine.

History

Jésus-Christ's island called in recognition for the Portuguese navigators, its accession begins about 1450, with the grant of its woodwork to the Fleming Jácome of Witches, for the Infante Don Enrique. The first villages are established in the zones of Oporto Judeu and of Praia idas Vitória, though they spread very rapidly to the rest of the island.

The economy of Terceira was orientated principally towards the agricultural production - cereals, especially, and exportation of the pastel used in dry cleaner's shop)-, the island was playing a role in the navigation during the XVth and XVIth century, as port of the nobles were bringing the wealths of Americas and the galleons that were coming from the India.

In this period, Terceira is a deposit of gold, money, diamonds and the spices came from other continents, which attracts the greed of French, English and Flemish(Andalusian gipsy) corsairs, turning to his its coasts in constant aims its assaults for several centuries.

The succession to the Portuguese throne of the Spanish king Philip II, in 1580, and the party thought by the inhabitants of Terceira in favor of the aspirant to the throne, Don António, Prior of Crato - who resided in the island-, led Terceira to suffering the attempts of conquest carried out by the Spanish. The first unloading of Spanish troops, in 1581, is rejected completely in the famous Battle of de Salga, the writers Cervantes and Lope de Vega took part. Nevertheless, in 1583, the Spanish forces, in numerous numbers, and directed by Lepante Don Àlvaro de Bazan, manage to dominate the island after violent combats.

Until 1640, Terceira was a port of call of the Spanish galleons entrusted to transport the fabulous wealth of Peru and Mexico. With the restoration, the Spanish were expelled and life resumed its normal course, preserving the island its position of economic, administrative and religious center of The Azores until beginning of the 19th century.

The liberal fights lead Terceira to recovering, once again, an important role in the history of Portugal, having transformed the liberal reason to this island into its principal base. In 1829, opposite to Vila das Praia develops a violent naval battle that the forces lose miguelistes, forcing in the island regency from which the liberal party conquers later other islands. From Terceira departs in addition, in 1832, the army and the fleet that, after Mindelo's unloading, declares the Constitution.

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