Ponta Garça 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 authority ...

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 ...

Vila Franca do Campo Vila Franca do Campo () is a town and municipality in the southern part of the island of São Miguel in the Portuguese Autonomous Region of the Azores. The population of the municipality was 11,229 in 2011, in an area of 77.97 km². The town ...

in 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 ...

archipelago of 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 3,547, in an area of 29.35 km².Eurostat
/ref> It is the largest parish in Vila Franca do Campo.

History

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 ...

indicated that the origin of its toponymy was connected with the first settlers' reflections on sighting this zone. On the other hand, the local civil parish council claims that the area was named for the preponderance of marine birds, that nest on the cliffs of the parish. The civil parish was first designated in the 16th century, likely owing to the communities growth and access to potable water.

Geography

The parish is located along the main regional roadway that links Lagoa and

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 67,28 ...

with the eastern part of the island. It is situated in the eastern part of Vila Franca do Campo. It contains the localities Cinzeiro, Meio Moio, Ponta Garça and Senhora das Mercês. Ponta Garça has 3 elementary schools, and a church.

Climate

Economy

The main industries are agriculture and manufacturing.

Architecture

Civic

* Estate of the Viscount Botelho ( pt, Solar Visconde Botelho) *

Lighthouse of Ponta Garça The Lighthouse of Ponta Garça ( pt, Farol da Ponta Garça) is a beacon/lighthouse located along cliffs of the civil parish of Ponta Garça in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The lighthouse wa ...

( pt, Farol de Ponta Garça), the 20th century lighthouse includes a single circular tower and main block, similar to other modernist structures of this type, such as the

lighthouse of Ponta dos Rosais The Ponta dos Rosais Lighthouse ( pt, Farol da Ponta dos Rosais) is a beacon/lighthouse located along the 200 m cliffs of Ponta dos Rosais near Rosais in the extreme northwest of the island of São Jorge, in the Archipelago of the Azores, Portug ...

; considered emblematic of the region, it was constructed in 1957, and includes a tower, with view of the sea and parish.

Religious

* Church of Nossa Senhora da Piedade ( pt, Igreja Paroquial de Ponta Garça/Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Piedade) * Hermitage of Senhora das Mercês ( pt, Ermida da Senhora das Mercês), situated in Grotas Fundas, this hermitage dates from the 18th century, and includes an image in high-relief dating from the same period.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ponta Garca Freguesias of Vila Franca do Campo (Azores)