With direct flights from the UK, Boston and Toronto, it’s easier than ever to visit the island of Terceira. A walking tour of Angra with our resident guide is a great way to learn about the Azores most historic city.
Angra was the first settlement in the Azores to be granted city status in 1534, gaining the honorary suffix ‘de Heroismo’ following the battle of Praia da Vitoria on 11th August 1829 (a key moment in the Portuguese civil war). Tours normally begin at the Miradouro do Cantagalo overlooking Angra Marina and Monte Brasil, where you can get a feel for the layout of the city. A small hermitage (the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem) once stood on this spot, and the families of fisherman and sailors would come to this high vantage point, to lookout for their relatives and to pray for their safe return. You’ll also appreciate strategic importance of the Sao Joao Baptista Fortress on Monte Brasil – the extinct volcano overlooking the city.
Your next stop is Solar do Provedor das Armadas – the House of the Ombudsman of the Armed Forces. The original building was constructed in the 16th century during the city’s golden era, when Angra played a key role in trade between Portugal and her Indian colonies. The ombudsman’s role was to support and protect the Portuguese fleets sailing the Carreira da India – the sea-route from Lisbon, via the Cape of Good Hope to Goa on India’s eastern coast. To take advantage of the prevailing westerly winds of the North Atlantic, the return route would bring the fleets into Angra, where they would restock their supplies before completing the final stage of their journey home to mainland Portugal.
The port and bay were often filled with caravels, and a constant stream of traders and goods saw the city blossom economically, culturally and architecturally. A happy by-product of the influx of trade was the introduction of spices from far-flung destinations: cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and black pepper which the islanders happily adopted into their existing Azorean recipes.
Facing the Igreja da Misericordia on Angra quayside, you’ll see a modern-day memorial to one of Portugal’s most-famous sailing sons: the statue of Vasco da Gama, striding purposefully from the harbour towards the centre of the city. Da Gama famously led the first (of thirteen) armadas to India, leaving Lisbon on 8th July 1497. Two years later, on 20th January 1499, he rounded the Cape of Good Hope on the return journey in two ships – the Berrio and Gabriel. The ships became separated in a storm – Da Gama was on-board the Gabriel and made anchor off the Cape Verdean island of Santiago in May. His older brother (and captain of the Gabriel) Paulo was dying of scurvy, and it looked increasingly unlikely he’d make it home without medical attention, such as it was in the 15th century.
The Gabriel continued without the brothers, arriving into Lisbon in August. Meanwhile, Da Gama charted a caravel and sailed with his brother to Terceira. Paulo survived the shorter, quicker journey to the island but passed away within twenty-four hours of their arrival. He was buried at the Convento Sao Francisco monastery, now home to the Museu de Angra do Heroismo. The museum houses the Azores’ most extensive collection of 18th and 19th century art, ceramics, traditional costumes and musical instruments. The ‘Do Mar e da Terra – a history in the Atlantic’ exhibition charts the history of the Azores from their settlement in the 15th century up to the revolution in 1974. Opening hours are 10:00 to 17:30 and the museum is closed on Mondays.
It’s a short walk to the Se Cathedral: the largest religious building in the Azores. Although the cathedral was originally built in the early 16th century, major reconstruction was necessary following the New Year’s Day earthquake in 1980. The city suffered considerable damage with over 5000 buildings and homes destroyed. Building repairs were completed by the end of 1983, and the centre of the city was awarded its historic UNESCO protected status.
Following your walking tour, you could hike up to the Alto da Memoria – an obelisk erected in memory of Dom Pedro IV. Known as The Liberator, Pedro left Portugal as a child-prince, fleeing Napoleon’s invading forces during the Peninsula War. Choosing not to return once the war ended, he declared Brazil independent from Portugal (which was still ruled by his aged-father) and crowned himself emperor on 12th October 1822.
Pedro eventually returned to Portugal to support his daughter, Dona Maria, during the Liberal Wars when Portugal was divided into pro-royal Absolutists (under Pedro’s brother Miguel) and pro-reformist Liberals (under Maria). Terceira was Pedro’s first stop in 1832, where he formed a government-in-opposition to his brother Miguel’s regime. Touring the crowned heads of Europe, he enlisted the support of England and Spain and besieged Porto for almost a year, before marching on Lisbon to bring an end to the civil war (in 1834). The Alto da Memoria memorial is constructed from the stones Pedro first stepped upon when he alighted from his boat on Angra’s quayside.
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