Achada is a ''
freguesia
''Freguesia'' (), usually translated as "parish" or "civil parish", is the third-level administrative subdivision of Portugal, as defined by the 1976 Constitution. It is also the designation for local government jurisdictions in the former Port ...
'' ("civil parish") in the municipality
Nordeste
The Northeast Region of Brazil ( pt, Região Nordeste do Brasil; ) is one of the five official and political regions of the country according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Of Brazil's twenty-six states, it comprises ni ...
on the island of
São Miguel in the
Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
. The population in 2011 was 436, in an area of 11.89 km.
History
The area known as ''Achada'', once referred to as ''Achada Grande'', was originally populated in the first have of the 16th century. Its name was derived from the Portuguese phrase ' which means ''flatland'' and was first mentioned by the historian Father
Gaspar Frutuoso
Gaspar Frutuoso (c.1522 in Ponta Delgada – 1591 in Ribeira Grande) was a Portuguese priest, historian and humanist from the island of São Miguel, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. His major contribution to Portuguese history was hi ...
in ''Saudades da Terra''. These lands were originally occupied and administered by Antão Rodrigues da Câmara, a descendant of the third Capitain-Donatário of São Miguel, but were sold, then tilled and sold to other settlers.
By 1526 the village had its own parochial church to the invocation of ''Nossa Senhora da Anunciação'' (English: ''Our Lady of the Annunciation'') where members of the religious orders resided locally. The temple was the result of various remodeling projects starting at the end of 1782 until 1984.
Since the 16th century, Achada has been a religious (later civil) parish, but it was only annexed into the municipality of Nordeste in 1820 (having previously pertained to the municipality of Ribeira Grande).
Economy
Its fertile lands, which extend the length of the Achada plain, have been the source of the region's economy. Agriculture and dairy production is typical in this area, including cereal crops and tubers. A small port was commercially important until the 20th century when most exports were handled from Ponta Delgada. Today, potatoes and corn are principal crops cultivated in the area, where the harvested materials are used for feed in the raising of cattle.
Culture
Festivities
Traditional festivals occur in the month of August, and include a diverse program of events such as the traditional ''barracas'' with native foods and drink. The primary events occur around the ''Império da Achada'', when the annual feasts of the Divine Holy Spirit are celebrated that include meat-broth soups accompanied with local wines, traditional sweet bread (Portuguese: ''massa sovada'') and sweet rice deserts.
References
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Freguesias of Nordeste, Azores