Mosteiros is a

civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...

in the

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

Ponta Delgada Ponta Delgada (; ) is the largest municipality ('' concelho'') and economic capital of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in Portugal. It is located on São Miguel Island, the largest and most populous in the archipelago. As of 2021, it has 67, ...

on the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

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 1,123, in an area of .Eurostat
/ref> It contains the localities Chã das Machadas, Lomba dos Homens, Lombinha and Mosteiros.

History

It was only around 1480, that the first people began to settle this part of the island, mostly by the maritime access, for many years. The community of Mosteiros was built on ancestral fishing for many years, even as its territory was cultivated by farmers. The name Mosteiros, meaning

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

in the

Portuguese language Portuguese ( or, in full, ) is a western Romance language of the Indo-European language family, originating in the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. It is an official language of Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and ...

, refers to nearby islets: the largest of these islets is shaped like a church.DRAC (2010), p.30 As

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 ...

noted: :''"Between the large islet and ponta Ruiva, by the cliffs, until the promontory of Escalvados, there are some large depressions and well made fumaroles, in the form of a church, or monasteries, or of both things, that older settlers called ''the monasteries'' osteiros situated on the

fajã () is a Portuguese term of obscure origin used to describe supratidal talus at the foot of coastal cliffs, caused by landslides or lava flows.G. Lameiras et al. (2009), p.827 Although relatively common world-wide, they are distinctive features ...

that ran from the peak in Sete Cidades"''. The parochial church, dedicated to ''Our Lady of the Conception'', was constructed at various stages and remotes the beginning of the 17th century. Today, these activities have been complemented by tourist-related activities.

Geography

Mosteiros is located in the northwestern part of the island of São Miguel, connected by the ''Estrada Regional 1-1ª'' roadway to Ponta Delgada in the southeast and Ribeira Grande in the northeast. The main village is located on a

at the tip of the island, surrounded by coastal cliffs that reach . The parish is primarily recognizable by a group of islets that lie offshore: two small islets to the northwest, and a group in the southwest, including one further west and two smaller islets, slightly east of the large islet. The development of the community has been highlighted by the construction of two ''triatos'' or ''impérios'', associated with

Cult of the Holy Spirit The Cult of the Holy Spirit ( pt, Culto do Divino Espírito Santo), also known as the Cult of the Empire of the Holy Spirit (''Culto do Império do Divino Espírito Santo''), is a religious sub-culture, inspired by Christian millenarian mystics, ...

: the ''Impéro da Grota'' (located in the garden near the main Church) and the ''Império das Lombas'' (raised over the old structure). In addition, several reparations were completed on the school ''Escola Comendador Ângelo José Dias'', the seat of the parish, philharmonic band and extension of the ETAR (sewage and drainage). The ''Jardim da Eira Velha'', a greenspace in the community was also elaborated, overlooking the sea and fishing port, in addition to the changing rooms of the football field. The conclusion of the ''Caminho da Pedra Queimada'', which connects the ''Rua das Pensões'' to the regional roadway (at ''Lomba dos Homens'') was part of an attempt to improve the community's access. This was also the case with the paving and extensions of the ''Caminho do Concelho'', which connects the ''Ramal dos Mosteiros'' to Pico de Mafra. Another solution defended by the parish council was the opening of a new road along the cliffs to the top of ''Rua das Vinhas'' until ''Rua Nova'', a solution that has the foresight of providing new residential homes.

Climate

Economy

Agriculture dominates in the interior, with herding of dairy cattle and the cultivation of some fruits and vegetables.

Culture

The festivities in honour of the patron saint occur on the third Sunday of August.

References

;Notes ;Sources * {{authority control Parishes of Ponta Delgada