Água de Pau
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PortugalParish: 28 July 1500
Civil parish: c. 1515
Água de Pau | |
|---|---|
.jpg) A view of Baixo da Areia beach along the southern coastal area, separated from the village of Caloura | |
 The location of the civil parish of Água de Pau within the municipality of Lagoa | |
| Coordinates: 37°43′16″N 25°30′38″W / 37.72111°N 25.51056°W | |
| Country | Portugal |
| Auton. region | Azores |
| Island | São Miguel |
| Municipality | Lagoa |
| Established | Settlement: c. 1414 Parish: 28 July 1500 Civil parish: c. 1515 |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.46 km2 (6.74 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 103 m (338 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
• Total | 3,058 |
| • Density | 180/km2 (450/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−01:00 (AZOT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+00:00 (AZOST) |
| Postal code | 9560-217 |
| Area code | 292 |
| Patron | Nossa Senhora dos Anjos |
Água de Pau is a civil parish in the municipality of Lagoa in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The population in 2011 was 3,058,[1] in an area of 17.46 km2.[2] It contains the localities Água de Pau, Caloura, Cerco, Cinzeiro, Galera and Jubileu.
There are various theories as to the origin of the villa's name, Água de Pau, which literally means water of wood (which can be interpreted as waters where wood exist). The most recognized story pertains to early settlers whom, upon arriving in the vicinity of the coast, noticed a large ravine emptying into the ocean from a swamp. Another story defended locally is that the name derived from the corruption of the phrase "Água do Paul" (paul possibly being a term for swamp or bog), which itself referred to the "Ribeira do Paul", an old ravine that existed in the area behind the older parochial church of Nossa Senhora dos Anjos. The Paul has long since disappeared, and the area behind the church has been cultivated over the decades. Nossa Senhora dos Anjos dos Céus was founded, as was the custom, in the center of the faith community and it is likely that this area was an initial settlement for the community.
What is known, is that the settlement is concentrated around this church (dating back to about 1444) owing to the abundance of potable water and fertile lands. On 28 July 1515, the parish was incorporated, and the administration elevated, to the status of vila (town) by King D. Manuel I; this municipal seat, its territory comprising about a half a league of land, was de-annexed from the neighboring territory of Vila Franca do Campo.[3]
Its urban nucleus, with its narrow streets, are typical of the colored houses, flowered avenues and traditional homes of the older buildings of Portugal, but following the 1522 Vila Franca earthquake many of these homes were destroyed: reconstruction was completed on 10 November 1525.
Its administrative role lasted for 330 years, until 24 June 1853, when the parish was incorporated into the municipality of Lagoa, while still retaining the honorific vila title (under Regional Legislative Decree 29/2003/A), to function as a civil parish.
Geography
The town of Água de Pau is located along the southern coast of the island of São Miguel, approximately 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) from the municipal center of Lagoa. It is bordered on either frontier by the Lagoan parishes of Santa Cruz (to the west) and Ribeira Chã (to the east), and fronts the Atlantic Ocean to the south. The interior headlands form part of the Água de Pau Massif, the central volcanic complex that formed the municipality and central portion of the island. This area is a shared frontier with the parishes of Santa Bárbara and Ribeira Seca in the municipality of Ribeira Grande (to the north) and Água de Alto (to the east) in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo.
The territory is bisected by the Via-Rapida that transits the territory from Ponta Delgada to Vila Franca do Campo, but also by an older municipal roadway that connects the villages of the municipality, while rural roads intersperse these areas.
