| Cedros | |
| Freguesia dos Cedros | |
| Civil Parish | |
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| Name origin: cedros, Portuguese for cedars | |
| Country | Portugal |
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| State | Azores |
| Island | Faial |
| Municipality | Horta |
| Localities | Areias., Cabeço., Canto., Cascalho., Cavões., Janalves., Ladeira., Miragaia., Ribeira Funda., Valeverde. |
| Center | Praça |
| - coordinates | 38°38′3″N 28°41′55″W / 38.63417°N 28.69861°W |
| Highest point | Cabeço Gordo |
| - elevation | 927 m (3,041 ft) |
| Lowest point | Sea Level |
| - location | Atlantic Ocean |
| - elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Area | 24.53 km2 (9 sq mi) |
| - urban | 0.65 km2 (0 sq mi) |
| Population | 1,048 (2001) |
| Density | 42.7 /km2 (111 /sq mi) |
| Founded | 1594 |
| Civil Parish | Executive & Civil Committee |
| President | José Agostinho Pinheiro Silveira |
| Timezone | Azores (UTC-1) |
| - summer (DST) | Azores (UTC-2) |
| Código Postal & Codex | 9900-341 Cedros |
| Country Code & Fix Line | +351 292 |
| Denonym | Faialenses; Cedrenses |
| Patron Saint | Saint Barbara |
| Offices | Praça (Polivalente) |
 Location of the communities of Cedros (between Praia do Norte and Salão)
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| Website: www.cedros-faial.com | |
Cedros is a parish in the northern part of the municipality of Horta on the island of Faial in the Azores. The population as of 2001 was approximately 1,048, its density is 42.7/km² and the area is 24.53 km². Cedros is the northernmost parish on the island. It is located 19 km northwest of Horta and is linked via the E.R. 1-1ª Regional Road to the rest of the island. The tree-covered hills and pasturelands cover the area towards the interior, and hedged farmlands extend to the Atlantic coastline. The population is comparable in size to other parishes on the island, though this has decreased by 50% since the 1950s (when there were approximately 2000 habitants).
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Geography
Cedros is one of the largest parishes on the island of Faial. It is bordered on the east by Salão and west by Praia do Norte and extends from the coast to the center of the island (and the Cabeço Gordo volcano). Apart from the rich pasturelands and hedged-fields in Alto do Inverno, Alto do Rigo or Cabeça da Vaca, the coastal cliffs are approximately 75 m to 271 m above sea level (the highest coastal altitude in this parish being near Ribeira Funda). The region is intersected by several rivers and valley creeks including Ribeira Funda ("the Deep River-Valley"), Ribeira Pinheiro and Ribeira Sousa, which are usually dry throughout most of the year.
The population is concentrated along the Regional EN 1-1a Road that extends around the island. Praça (or "Village Square") is the centre of Cedros, although smaller "neighborhoods" include Porto de Eira, Cabeço, Cascalho, Covões and Ribeira Funda are also important communities. Uphill, a secondary road (linked to the E.R. 1-1ª by Canada da Sousa, Rua de Igreja and Canada do Vale) connects the "neighborhoods" of Canto, Janalves and Miragaia (colloquially known as "Rua de Cima"). Each of these neighborhoods has their own distinctions, and some include their own local pubs or community markets (mercearias).
History
The history of Cedros is tied to the failure of the Flemish nobleman Josse Van Huerter's first expedition in 1466 to the island. Abandoned by Huerter, some members of his failed expedition were joined by settlers from Terceira and Spain whom explored and settled along the northern coast.
The origin of the name "Cedros" comes from the local cedars (the Cedros-das-Ilhas or Cedros-do-Mato) found in the pasturelands and forests of the area; in Latin, Juniperus brevifolia. In addition to the cedars, along the numerous river-valleys (especially Ribeira Funda, Ribeira Pinheiro and Ribeira Sousa) they encountered species of Pine, Juniper, flowering plants (such as the family Adoxaceae), Azores laurel (lat. Laurus azorica), Buckthorn (lat. Rhamnus), and Ginger Lily (lat. Hedychium gardnerianum), as well as other broad-leaf plants. Close access to potable water allowed the settlers to develop small tracts of land, build homes of ubiquitous volcanic rock and cultivate a subsistence lifestyle: a few animals (cows, lambs or goats) and a small vegetable garden. The introduction of wheat allowed the development of an small local export industry.
In 1466-67 Josse Van Huerter returned to the island, with the patronage of the Duke of Burgundy. After a failed settlement on the Lomba dos Frades, he eventually established the nucleus of Horta and began the first Captaincy of the island. Some of the more adventurous settlers followed the trails north to area now known as Santa Bárbara (Praça). These new settlers were more affluent, some noblemen, who constructed larger, more ornate homes: such as the “Castelo da Rocha Negra” (or “Casa dos Lacerdas dos Cedros”), a three-floor house with molded cornices, verandas, and corbels in black volcanic rock.
Father Gaspar Frutuoso, a celebrated Portuguese historian, priest and humanist best known for his six-part tome Saudades da Terra that documented the genealogy and history of the Azores archipelago. He recounts the conflicts and histories of the peoples of the region. The development of the stain/woad industry and conflict between impresarios Van Huerter and Wilhelm van der Hagen were important events. But, it was at about this same time that Flem Hern Jannequim (aka Arnequim) caused his own problems in Cedros by confronting and expelling the Magistrate of Justice and then threatening the Captain-General with murder, when they prepared to capture him. The conflict was eventually resolved by the King, although by then the influence and importance of the Flemish community had slowly declined overtime.
The village was formally founded in 1594: this date is conjecture, based on evidence found during the reconstruction of the Parochial Church of Santa Bárbara following a fire that occurred in November 1971. The church was originally constructed during the Iberian Union, in grand dimensions and a style different from other churches on Faial (including four bells in the tower). The northern bell was large, and many locals reflected that it could be heard from as far as the base of the island's caldera. A current myth, perpetuated by older residents, involves the disappearance of the bells which, some say, were mysteriously removed and installed at the Sé Cathedral of Angra do Heroísmo, Terceira. An anonymous letter was also sent at one time stating that the bells were buried beside the church, although the bells were never found. Another interesting holdover of the Iberian Union was the enormous silver-plated oil lamp that hung within the church (the only other lamp hung in Spain).
By 1643, Friar Diogo de Chagas claimed the parish inhabited by 2126 people. In 1672, a violent eruption caused an important exodus to Brasil. Also, the end of the Iberian Union, resulted in the expulsion of most the Spanish living in the parish (which included Salão at the time). Similarly, an epidemic between 1717 and 1718 caused the deaths of many in the parish. The growth of the Carmelite, Jesuit and Franciscan religious orders at about the same time resulted in the growth of the faith community on Faial and development of some communities.
Economy
The main economy in this area is agriculture. The soil of the parish is fertile allowing the cultivation of various legumes and grains. Wheat, corn, beans, potatoes and sweet potatoes have been agricultural staples in the region over the decades.
Dairy production has also had an important role in the economy since this northern coast was populated, but it only became an organized industry in the early 1920s. About this time an enterprising couple (Professor Constantino Magno do Amaral and D. Teresa) began a small factory in the area of Rua da Igreja, eventually occupying the building currently "occupied" by Ethnographic Museum (Nulceu Etnográfico dos Cedros) across from the main church. Later, a second firm, Castro, Merrinho & Xavier began operating in Cascalho, along Canada do Inês. José Freitas also developed a small business in Canto da Gatinha, a group of investors started the União dos Lavradores that operated along the regional road, and the União Industrial Cedrenses (locally referred to as "fábrica do Marujo") was also formed in Praça (long after Professor Amaral's operation had ceased). By 1941 many of these operations had been bought or failed and the remaining businesses, Castro, Merrinho & Xavier and União Industrial, were being squeezed by low milk prices. It was then that a group of enterprising farmers, under the counsel of Professor José da Rosa Aica, banded together to form what would eventually be known as the cooperative CALF: the Cooperativa Agrícola dos Lactícinios do Faial. The idea of a cooperative spread quickly in the north of the island through the parishes, and it quickly became the largest enterprise on the island. Castro, Merrinho & Xavier was later purchased by a group from Lisbon to form Lacto Açoreana, it lasted briefly, eventually coming under the control of a Horta businessman and failing. The União Industrial Cedrense was purchased by Martins & Rebello, then the largest milk processor in Portugal, and moved to Cascalho (not too far from the Cooperativo) to occupy the old Castro, Merrinho & Xavier buildings. By 2004, the Cooperative had survived the competition, and restructured its operations to compete in the European market, expanding physically to handle the production. It is the principal business located in Cascalho, and responsible for the production and packaging of cheese and butter under the Ilha Azul label. In Cedros, Martins & Rebello did not survive the century.
Tourism has become the second local industry in the region. "Rural Tourism", highlighted by the Nucleo Etnográfico dos Cedros and several renovated "bed and breakfast"-like cottages, attract visitors to this northern coast village. The museum once included several examples of antique farm implements, equipment and tools used in daily life, as well as some pictures associated with the village and life in 19th-20th centuries. Currently, the Museum is in disuse, and most of the exhibits have been placed "in storage".
Culture, Tradition & Tourism
Cultural Sites & Points of Interest
Civil and Civic Architecture
- Casa do Capitão (House of the Captain) - one of the old Captain-major's homes in the parish, located on the Canada do Capitão
- Museu Etnográfico dos Cedros (Ethnographic Museum of Cedros) - site of one of the first dairy factories, and currently unused by civil committee as museum.
- Casa dos Lacerdas dos Cedros/Castelo da Rocha Negra
- Moinho de Vento do Moledo (Windmill of Moledo) - central windmill owned by Cooperative and landmark of Cascalho.
Religious Sanctuaries
- Church of Nossa Senhora de Fátima - located outside of Ribeira Funda
- Church of Santa Bárbara - the parochial church located in Praça
References
- CALDAS, João Vieira. Atlântida, Vol. XLV, 2000, Instituto Açoreano de Cultura, Angra do Heroísmo.
- FRUTUOSO, Gaspar. Saudades da Terra (Vol.1-6). Ponta Delgada. Instituto Cultural de Ponta Delgada. (1963)
- LACERDA, Eduardo. Crónica Cedrenses (2006)
- ROSA; Father Júlio da. Ribeira Funda: Povo sem História (2005), Horta
- TOSTÕES, Ana; SILVA, Filipe Jorge; VIEIRA, João, FERNANDES, José Manuel; JANEIRO, Maria de Lurdes; BARCELOS, Nuno; and MESTRE, Vitor. Architectura Popular dos Açores. Ponta Delgada. Ordem dos Arquitectos. (1989/91 e 1996/99)
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- Actividades Turisticas, Lda. (2003)- Faial, Açores: Guia do Património Cultural
- Lucidus. Atlas Turístico: Açores. Lucidus Publicações, Lda. Lisboa. (1988)
- Publicor. Azores: Guide for Tourists. Direcção Regional de Turismo. Horta. (1988/89)
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