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Angra do Heroísmo (), or simply Angra, is a city and municipality on
Terceira Island Terceira () is a volcanic island in the Azores archipelago, about a third of the way across the North Atlantic Ocean at a similar latitude to Portugal's capital Lisbon, with the island group forming an insular part of Portugal. It is one of the ...
,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, and one of the three capital cities of the
Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...
. Founded in 1478, Angra was historically the most important city in the Azores, as seat of the Bishop of the Azores, government entities, and having previously served as the
capital city A capital city, or just capital, is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state (polity), state, province, department (administrative division), department, or other administrative division, subnational division, usually as its ...
of Portugal during the
Liberal Wars The Liberal Wars (), also known as the Portuguese Civil War () and the War of the Two Brothers () was a civil war in Portugal that lasted from May 1828 to May 1834, fought between liberal progressive constitutionalists (led by former King P ...
. The population in 2011 was 35,402, in an area of 239.00 km2. It was classified as a
World Heritage site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
by
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
in 1983.


Name

Angra is the Portuguese word for "inlet", "cove", or "bay". The epithet ' ("of Heroism", "the Heroic") was granted to the city by Maria II to commemorate its citizens' successful defense of the island against a
Miguelist In the history of Portugal, a Miguelist () is a supporter of the legitimacy of the king Miguel I of Portugal and his descendants. Miguel was regent for his niece Queen Maria II of Portugal, and potential royal consort. However, he claimed the ...
assault in 1829. The full name of the city is the Very Noble, Loyal and Ever Steadfast City of Angra do Heroísmo ().


History

Some claim that Angra was founded by Álvaro Martins, who sailed with Didrik Pining on his expedition to the New World, and with
Bartolomeu Dias Bartolomeu Dias ( – 29 May 1500) was a Portuguese mariner and explorer. In 1488, he became the first European navigator to round the Cape Agulhas, southern tip of Africa and to demonstrate that the most effective southward route for ships lies ...
on his voyage around the
Cape of Good Hope The Cape of Good Hope ( ) is a rocky headland on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa. A List of common misconceptions#Geography, common misconception is that the Cape of Good Hope is the southern tip of Afri ...
. Others contend that Angra was founded in 1450 or 1451 by Jácome de Bruges, a Fleming in the service of
Prince Henry the Navigator Princy Henry of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Infante Dom (title), Dom Henrique''; 4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator (), was a Infante of Portugal, Portuguese prince and a ...
, who recruited farmers, fishermen, and merchants in the
Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...
to colonize the Azores. The first references to the settlement of the Azores date to between 1439 and 1449, through the donation of
Henry the Navigator Princy Henry of Portugal, Duke of Viseu ( Portuguese: ''Infante Dom Henrique''; 4 March 1394 – 13 November 1460), better known as Prince Henry the Navigator (), was a Portuguese prince and a central figure in the early days of the Portuguese ...
the colonization of seven islands in the central and eastern groups of the archipelago. Terceira, included in this group, would be administered by Jácome de Bruges as stipulated in the nomination process, dated March 1450, that included not only the settlement of the lands, but also the milling monopoly, ovens, salt concession, land rights in the name of the monarchy, tithes, administration of justice, and rights of succession including the exceptional provision for materlineal succession. But, the great difficulty in attracting settlers meant that by 22 August 1460, the island was still unpopulated. The site chosen by the first settlers was a ridgeline, which opened, like an amphitheatre, onto two small bays, separated by a peninsula, at the head of which stood the
extinct volcano A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the Crust (geology), crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and volcanic gas, gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth ...
of Monte Brasil. One of these coves was deep enough (around ) to provide an anchorage for large vessels, and it had the further advantage of being sheltered from most strong winds, except for those from the south and southeast. In 1474, Álvaro Martins Homem ordered that the river flowing into the cove be diverted into a manmade stone-lined channel, running downhill, so that its rushing waters could be harnessed to turn the
waterwheel A water wheel is a machine for converting the kinetic energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a large wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with numerous blade ...
of a mill. This laid the foundation for the future
economic development In economics, economic development (or economic and social development) is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and object ...
of the village of Angra. At the same time, this allowed the area on either side of the river's course to be rearranged according to a rectilinear street-plan and organized into neighborhoods by function (commercial, residential, etc.), to accommodate the needs of the fast-growing port. The first houses of Angra were built on the hillside above the cove, the steep streets winding down to the shore. On high ground, away from the sea, a castle/stronghold/fortress was begun; it would eventually be named '' Castelo dos Moinhos'' (). By 1534, Angra was the first
town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
in the archipelago to be elevated to the status of ''
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
''. In the same year, it was chosen by
Pope Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...
to be the seat of the Diocese of Angra, with ecclesiastical authority over all of the islands of the
Azores The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...
. The commercial port of early Angra played an important role in the Portuguese
East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies) is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The ''Indies'' broadly referred to various lands in Eastern world, the East or the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainl ...
trade beginning in the 15th century. The bay of Angra was often full of caravels and
galleons Galleons were large, multi-decked sailing ships developed in Spain and Portugal. They were first used as armed cargo carriers by Europeans from the 16th to 18th centuries during the Age of Sail, and they were the principal vessels drafted ...
, a circumstance that contributed to the progress of the city and its people. The construction of a number of manors, convents, churches, and military fortifications in Angra, infrastructures that were usually inappropriate for a small city (or small island) indicates the important role that Angra played in trans-Atlantic shipping for the Portuguese. The Portuguese nobleman Pero Anes do Canto (1480–1556), who was born at
Guimarães Guimarães () is a city and municipality located in northern Portugal, in the district of Braga. Its historic town centre has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2001, in recognition for being an "exceptionally well-preserved ...
, was the superintendent of fortifications on Terceira. For his competency in that role, and other services to the Portuguese Crown, he was rewarded with the title ''moço fidalgo'' (knight-gentleman), and the high office of "Purveyor to the Armada of the Islands and the merchant vessels of the East India trade in all of the islands of the Azores" (a hereditary title that followed successive members of the Canto family for three hundred years). The importance and power of the Cantos can hardly be overstated. During the period when Portugal was trading with its Asian, African, and South American colonies, they were responsible for the protection and welfare of the merchant fleet (and the staggering wealth represented by the cargoes in their holds) once the ships approached the last leg of their voyages in the North Atlantic. They were also responsible for acting as the chief customs official, the chief magistrate charged with resolving disputes, and the overseer of the naval defenses of the Azores.


Portuguese succession

Before
Philip II of Spain Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...
had a chance to enforce his claim to the crown of Portugal, in 1580, António, Prior of Crato, an illegitimate scion of the Beja line of the
House of Braganza The Most Serene House of Braganza (), also known as the Brigantine dynasty (''dinastia Brigantina''), is a dynasty of emperors, kings, princes, and dukes of Portuguese people, Portuguese origin which reigned in Europe and the Americas. The hous ...
Portuguese royal family, proclaimed himself king on 24 July 1580. However, his rule in continental Portugal lasted only twenty days; on 25 August, he was defeated at the Battle of Alcântara by the
Spanish Habsburg Habsburg Spain refers to Spain and the Hispanic Monarchy, also known as the Catholic Monarchy, in the period from 1516 to 1700 when it was ruled by kings from the House of Habsburg. In this period the Spanish Empire was at the zenith of its in ...
armies led by Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alba. After Alcântara, he attempted to rule Portugal from the Azores, where he established an opposition government in Angra do Heroísmo that lasted until 1583. Although for a time he was the monarch (minting coin and conferring titles), his government on Terceira was only recognized in the Azores, and from that place of refuge, António conducted a popular resistance movement opposed to the recognition of a foreign king. He was supported by a number of French adventurers under
Filippo di Piero Strozzi Filippo di Piero Strozzi (French language, French: ''Philippe Strozzi''; 1541 – 27 July 1582) was an Italian condottiero, a member of the Florentine family of the Strozzi family, Strozzi. He fought mainly for France. Biography He was born in ...
, a Florentine exile in the service of France, as well as Portuguese patriots, some of whom came to the Azores to assist him directly. ;Battle of Salga Bay The first military action in the Azores occurred about a year after António's crushing defeat at Alcântara. A Spanish fleet of ten warships, commanded by Pedro Valdez, bombarded Angra on 5 July 1581, then began investigating the coast of the island in search of the best landing places. At dawn on 25 July, the first ships loaded with Spanish troops anchored in Salga Bay, about twelve kilometres east of Angra's harbour in the village of Vila de São Sebastião. A coastwatcher, stationed at the cape called Ponta do Coelho, gave the alarm, but when the first Portuguese forces arrived about one thousand Castilians had already landed and had started to sack the surrounding villages. In this phase of the fighting, according to local accounts of the action, a leading role was played by young and pretty Brianda Pereira who, together with other women, attacked the enemy with farm implements when she saw her house destroyed. By midmorning, the Spaniards were sweeping the coast with their artillery, and the fighting was fierce. About midday, when the outcome of the battle was still unsettled, an Augustinian
friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendi ...
called Pedro, who was taking an active part in the struggle, thought of the stratagem of driving cattle against the Spaniards so as to scatter them. Over a thousand head of cattle were quickly gathered and, by means of shouts and musket shots, driven against the enemy positions. The disconcerted Spaniards fell back and were pursued to the shore, where almost all of them lost their lives in the fighting or drowned while trying to reach their boats. This unconventional victory, the Battle of Salga Bay, proved that António could count on a good deal of local support. ;Battle of Ponta Delgada The next major military action did not take place until the following summer. Álvaro de Bazán, 1st Marquis of Santa Cruz, was sent in 1582, as "Admiral of the Ocean", to drive the pretender and his supporters from Angra and the Azores. Badly outnumbered, he won the
Battle of Ponta Delgada The naval Battle of Vila Franca do Campo, also known as Battle of Ponta Delgada and Naval Battle of Terceira Island, took place on 26 July 1582, off the coast of the island of São Miguel Island, São Miguel in the Portugal, Portuguese archipe ...
on 26 July 1582, off the coast of the island of São Miguel, against a loose confederation of Portuguese, French, English, and Dutch
privateer A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sovereign o ...
s. ;Battle of Terceira Although António's fleet was completely defeated at the Battle of Ponta Delgada, the pretender did flee into exile in France after the battle. His supporters were subsequently defeated the following year at the Battle of Terceira, near Angra, on 27 July 1583, which allowed Philip's forces to finally occupy the Azores and complete his unification of the Crowns of Spain and Portugal. Yet, Santa Cruz, the Spanish admiral, who was acclaimed for his victories against the
House of Aviz The House of Aviz (Portuguese language, Portuguese: ''Casa de Avis'' ), also known as the Joanine Dynasty (''Dinastia Joanina''), was a dynasty of Portuguese people, Portuguese origin which flourished during the Portuguese Renaissance, Renaissanc ...
and its partisans in the Azores, recognized that England presented a grave threat to Spain's empire, and he became a zealous advocate of war with the English. A letter he wrote to Philip II from Angra do Heroísmo, on 9 August 1583, two weeks after the Battle of Terceira, contains the first definite suggestion of the formation of the
Spanish Armada The Spanish Armada (often known as Invincible Armada, or the Enterprise of England, ) was a Spanish fleet that sailed from Lisbon in late May 1588, commanded by Alonso de Guzmán, Duke of Medina Sidonia, an aristocrat without previous naval ...
. It was following the events of the battle of Terceira that the existing fortifications in Monte Brasil were rethought. During the Anglo-Spanish War (1585–1604), the original Portuguese fortifications were redesigned by Italian military engineer Giovanni Vicenzo Casale and his assistants, since privateers, such as
Francis Drake Sir Francis Drake ( 1540 – 28 January 1596) was an English Exploration, explorer and privateer best known for making the Francis Drake's circumnavigation, second circumnavigation of the world in a single expedition between 1577 and 1580 (bein ...
and
Walter Raleigh Sir Walter Raleigh (; – 29 October 1618) was an English statesman, soldier, writer and explorer. One of the most notable figures of the Elizabethan era, he played a leading part in English colonisation of North America, suppressed rebell ...
, had attacked Spanish ships and possessions. The first cornerstone was laid in 1583, and the fortifications were progressively elaborated to include several
bastion A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...
s and cannon emplacements. By the Restoration, the Spanish commander, Álvaro de Viveiros, resisted for eleven months (from 27 March 1641 to 4 March 1642) behind the walls of the impregnable fortress, and only a concentrated task force commanded by Francisco Ornelas da Câmara and João de Bettencourt were able to defeat the commander. The fort was taken, and reclaimed for Portugal: a church was constructed within the fortress in honour of Saint
John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...
() after 1642.


17th century

Over the years, Terceira (and Angra in particular) has been a popular place for out-of-favor monarchs to cool their heels while events on the Portuguese mainland or elsewhere went on without them. In 1667, near the end of the
Portuguese Restoration War The Restoration War (), historically known as the Acclamation War (''Guerra da Aclamação''), was the war between Portugal and Spain that began with the Portuguese revolution of 1640 and ended with the Treaty of Lisbon in 1668, bringing a forma ...
, King Afonso VI, his chief advisor, Castelo Melhor, and Castelo Melhor's francophile party were overthrown by the king's younger brother, Pedro, Duke of Beja, (who later ruled as
Pedro II of Portugal ''Dom (title), Dom'' Pedro II (Peter II; 26 April 1648 – 9 December 1706), nicknamed the Pacific (''Português:'' O Pacífico) was King of Portugal from 1683 until his death, previously serving as regent for his brother Afonso VI of Portugal, ...
.) Pedro first installed himself as his brother's regent; then, he arranged Afonso's exile to the island of Terceira in the Azores on the pretense that he was incapable of governing. Afonso's exile lasted seven years. João Baptista da Silva Leitão de Almeida Garrett, better known as the author
Almeida Garrett João Baptista da Silva Leitão de Almeida Garrett, 1st Viscount of Almeida Garrett (; 4 February 1799 – 9 December 1854) was a Portuguese poet, orator, playwright, novelist, journalist, politician, and a peer of the realm. A major promoter ...
, was born in 1799 in
Porto Porto (), also known in English language, English as Oporto, is the List of cities in Portugal, second largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon. It is the capital of the Porto District and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto c ...
, Portugal. In 1809, his family fled the second French invasion carried out by
Soult Marshal General of France, Marshal General Jean-de-Dieu Soult, 1st Duke of Dalmatia (; 29 March 1769 – 26 November 1851) was a French general and statesman. He was a Marshal of the Empire during the Napoleonic Wars, and served three times as P ...
's troops, seeking refuge in Angra do Heroísmo. While in the Azores, he was taught by his uncles, all prominent churchmen. (His uncle, Dom Frei Alexandre da Sagrada Família, was the twenty-fifth bishop of Angra.) In 1818, Almeida Garrett left the island and moved to
Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ), officially the City of Coimbra (), is a city and a concelho, municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2021 census was 140,796, in an area of . The fourth-largest agglomerated urban area in Po ...
to study at the
university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...
's law school.


19th century

When King João VI died in 1826, the country was plunged into a succession crisis. The king had a rightful male heir,
Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
Pedro of
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
, who had successfully rebelled against his father in the 1820s. Many prominent Portuguese, however, did not wish to be reunified with their former colony. The king's younger son Miguel was exiled in
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, having led a number of failed revolutions of his own against his father's liberal regime. Pedro abdicated the Portuguese throne in favor of his 7-year-old daughter Maria da Glória, stipulating that she would marry her uncle Miguel when she came of age. In order to rule jointly with his niece, however, Miguel was obligated to swear an oath to uphold the existing liberal constitution. Miguel initially agreed but quickly reneged. He deposed his young niece and began establishing an absolutist monarchy. Pedro and his daughter then began a conflict known variously as the
Liberal Wars The Liberal Wars (), also known as the Portuguese Civil War () and the War of the Two Brothers () was a civil war in Portugal that lasted from May 1828 to May 1834, fought between liberal progressive constitutionalists (led by former King P ...
, the Portuguese Civil War, the War of the Two Brothers, and the Miguelite War. On June 22, 1828, liberals deposed the Azores' captain-general Manuel Vieira de Albuquerque Touvar, deporting him to the mainland and establishing a headquarters on Terceira. The Battle of Praia da Vitória on August 11, 1829, saw the Terceirans repulse a Miguelist attack. This would lead to Angra being given the honorary title of ', "the Heroic". Maria da Glória resided on the island from 1830 to 1833; her forces were victorious the following year. On 20 September 1836,
Charles Darwin Charles Robert Darwin ( ; 12 February 1809 – 19 April 1882) was an English Natural history#Before 1900, naturalist, geologist, and biologist, widely known for his contributions to evolutionary biology. His proposition that all speci ...
, the eminent English naturalist, nearing the end of his voyage around the world aboard the research vessel HMS ''Beagle'', arrived at the Azores and anchored at Angra. The next day, Darwin hired a horse and some guides and rode to the center of the island where an active
volcanic crater A volcanic crater is an approximately circular depression in the ground caused by volcanic activity. It is typically a bowl-shaped feature containing one or more vents. During volcanic eruptions, molten magma and volcanic gases rise from an ...
was supposed to exist. What he found there was not a "crater" at all; instead, what he found was a series of fissures in the rock with steam issuing from them. To a naturalist, his long day in the saddle was not very illuminating. Biologically speaking, Darwin wrote, he could "find nothing of interest". The next day, Darwin traveled along the coast road and visited the town of Praia da Vitória on the northeastern end of the island. He returned by way of the northern shore, and he crossed the central part of the island on his way back to the ''Beagle''. He departed on 25 September for the island of São Miguel, to pick up any letters that may have been posted to him there. Angra and neighboring Praia da Vitória were the sites of an interesting episode of the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
. Unable to break the blockade by US Navy ships of southern (Confederate) ports, and hoping to draw these blockading ships away to counter other perceived threats, the
Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), also known as the Confederate States (C.S.), the Confederacy, or Dixieland, was an List of historical unrecognized states and dependencies, unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United State ...
had commerce raiders built in Britain and France. One of these left Liverpool in July 1862 in the guise of a "merchant ship" and rendezvoused with supporting ships in the harbor of Praia da Vitória. This meeting-place was chosen because Portugal was neutral and the Azores were far away from pursuing US Navy ships. In that port and, later at Angra, cannon and other supplies of war were transferred aboard the new ship. The '' CSS Alabama'' was commissioned on 24 August 1862 just outside the harbor of Angra, and it left Terceira to begin its career as the most effective
commerce raider Commerce raiding is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt logistics of the enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than engaging its combatants or enforcing a blockade against them. Privateering is a fo ...
in naval history. Ngungunhane (also known as Mdungazwe Ngungunyane Nxumalo, N'gungunhana, or Gungunhana Reinaldo Frederico Gungunhana) was born in Gaza in southern Africa around 1850, and he died at Angra do Heroísmo on 23 December 1906. A vassal of the Portuguese king, he later rebelled, and he was defeated and imprisoned by the
Portuguese Army The Portuguese Army () is the land component of the Portuguese Armed Forces, Armed Forces of Portugal and is also its largest branch. It is charged with the defence of Portugal, in co-operation with other branches of the Armed Forces. With its ...
, led by Joaquim Mouzinho de Albuquerque. He was exiled to Lisbon and then to the island of Terceira, where he converted to Catholicism; he lived there until his death. He was the last emperor of the Empire of Gaza, a territory that is now part of Mozambique, and he was the last monarch of his dynasty. Nicknamed the "Lion of Gaza", he reigned from 1884 to 28 December 1895, the day he was made prisoner by Joaquim Mouzinho de Albuquerque in the fortified village of Chaimite. Because he was already known to the European press, the Portuguese colonial administration decided to condemn him to exile rather than send him to face a firing squad, as would normally be the case. He was transported to Lisbon, accompanied by a son named Godide and other dignitaries. After a brief stay, he was transferred to Angra do Heroísmo, where he died eleven years later.


20th century

Angra was hit by a major earthquake on 1 January 1980 that did considerable damage to the city's historic center and to many other locations on the island of
Terceira Terceira () is a volcanic island in the Azores archipelago, about a third of the way across the North Atlantic Ocean at a similar latitude to Portugal's capital Lisbon, with the island group forming an insular part of Portugal. It is one of the ...
. The Azores have experienced many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions since prehistoric times, but the 1980 event was probably the most serious since the eighteenth century. The damage in the city was repaired and rebuilt within four years. In 1983, the historic center of Angra do Heroísmo was named a UNESCO
World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
.


Geography

Angra occupies the south coast of Terceira. It is the headquarters of a military command and the seat of a
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
bishopric. Its principal buildings are the Sé Cathedral of Angra do Heroísmo, a military college, an arsenal, and an observatory. The harbor, now of little commercial or strategic importance (but formerly a major commercial and military port), is sheltered on the west and southwest by the promontory of Monte Brasil, but, today, it is less important than the neighboring ports of
Ponta Delgada Ponta Delgada (; ) is the largest municipality (''concelho'') and executive 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 67,2 ...
on the island of São Miguel and Horta on the island of Faial. * Jardim Duque da Terceira * Miradouro da Amoreira * Miradouro do Pico das Cruzinhas * Miradouro da Ponta do Queimado * Miradouro do Pico Matias Simão * Miradouro da Serreta * Miradouro das Veredas * Mata da Serreta * Parque Municipal do Relvão * Parque Arqueológico Subaquático da Baía de Angra do Heroísmo * Parque de Campismo das Cinco Ribeiras


Ecoregions/Protected areas

* Algar do Carvão * Baía de Angra do Heroísmo * Baía das Pontas * Baía da Salga * Baía do Refugo * Baía dos Salgueiros * Furna de Água * Galerias da Feteira * Gruta do Natal * Gruta Brisa Azul * Gruta das Mercês * Gruta do Zé Grande * Gruta das Cinco Ribeiras * Gruta das Agulhas * Gruta dos Ratões * Ilhéus das Cabras * Lagoa do Negro * Monte Brasil * Porto das Cinco Ribeiras * Ponta do Queimado * Prainha * Serra do Morião * Serra da Ribeirinha * Serra de Santa Bárbara * Zona Balnear do Negrito * Zona de Protecção Especial do Ilhéu das Cabras


Climate

The climate of Angra do Heroísmo is borderline
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
(''Csa'') and
humid subtropical A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between la ...
(''Cfa''), with the August daily mean being just above the isotherm and the July rainfall just below the 30 mm isotherm for the
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...
(''Cfb'') regime. It is also tempered by the
Gulf Stream The Gulf Stream is a warm and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows through the Straits of Florida and up the eastern coastline of the United States, then veers east near 36°N latitude (North Carolin ...
and the warm North Atlantic waters surrounding the Azores, with mild winter temperatures. Temperatures above have never been recorded, with summer days reliably staying around to .


Human geography

Administratively, the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo is made up of several civil parishes, which were historically parochial entities administered by the Catholic Church. After the expulsion of the religious orders from Portugal, the Portuguese administration adapted these territorial units into secular institutions that became the foundation of local government. In a civil context, a parish (''
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 Portuguese over ...
'' in Portuguese) is simply a subdivision of a municipality (''
concelho Concelho () is the Portuguese-language term for municipality, referring to the territorial subdivision in local government. In comparison, the word ''município'' () refers to the organs of State. This differentiation is still in use in Portugal ...
'' or '' município''). The nineteen civil parishes of Angra do Heroísmo are: * Altares * Cinco Ribeiras * Doze Ribeiras * Feteira * Nossa Senhora da Conceição * Porto Judeu * Posto Santo * Raminho * Ribeirinha * Santa Bárbara * Santa Luzia * São Bartolomeu de Regatos * São Bento * São Mateus da Calheta * São Pedro * * Serreta * Terra Chã * Vila de São Sebastião Thirteen of the parishes have a thousand people or more, and 88.71% of the population live in these larger parishes. About 11.3% of the population live in the remaining six small parishes. The most populated parish is Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Our Lady of Conception), and the least populated is Serreta. The largest parish geographically is Porto Judeu, and the smallest is Santa Luzia.


Architecture


Civic

The historic centre of Angra, is located along the southern coast, encompassing the medieval city and fortified citadel that forms the volcanic cone of Monte Brasil. Angra is dominated by the ''Old Square'' (), also known as the ''Square of Saints Cosmo and Damian'' () or the ''Restoration Square'' (). It was one of the first Portuguese squares specifically designed as a broad open space, joining two of the old town's main arteries. Angra's square is a broad and orderly, paved with
Portuguese pavement Portuguese pavement, known in Portuguese as or simply (or in Brazil), is a traditional-style pavement used for many pedestrian areas in Portugal. It consists of small pieces of stone arranged in a pattern or image, like a mosaic. It can also ...
stone (of white limestone and black basalt). Throughout its history, this main square has had various functions: it was a chicken and livestock market on Sundays; during the struggles between the Liberals and the Absolutists (during the
Liberal Wars The Liberal Wars (), also known as the Portuguese Civil War () and the War of the Two Brothers () was a civil war in Portugal that lasted from May 1828 to May 1834, fought between liberal progressive constitutionalists (led by former King P ...
) it was the site of public hangings; and the location where the local
running of the bulls A running of the bulls (, from the verb ''encerrar'', 'to corral, to enclose'; , literally 'haste, momentum'; 'bulls in the street', or 'bull-runner') is an event that involves running in front of a small group of bulls, typically six Fiske ...
began. The well-planned and handsome square in Angra owes its character to the influence of the
1755 Lisbon earthquake The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon earthquake, impacted Portugal, the Iberian Peninsula, and Northwest Africa on the morning of Saturday, 1 November, All Saints' Day, Feast of All Saints, at around 09:40 local time. In ...
, which resulted in the reconstruction program that influenced many of the towns and villages of Portugal. The ''old square'' (which reached its ultimate form during the late 18th century) reflects this new thinking and approach to
urbanism Urbanism is the study of how inhabitants of urban areas, such as towns and cities, interact with the built environment. It is a direct component of disciplines such as urban planning, a profession focusing on the design and management of urban ...
and transport. After the 19th century (specifically 1879), it served as a central gathering place for concerts by the
military band A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind instrument, wind and percussion instruments. The conducting, conductor of a ...
of the 10th Chasseur regiment, whose barracks were in the Fort of São João Baptista. * Building of the Angra do Heroísmo Savings (); * Cemetery of Anchors (); * Customshouse of Angra do Heroísmo (); constructed to support the influx of peoples and commercial resources into the 15th century colonies of the Azores, the long-house-like civil structure was constructed in the 16th century along the ''Patio da Alfândega'' alongside the primitive wharf and Church of the Misericórida; * Manor of D. Violante do Canto (); * Manor of Madre de Deus (), constructed by João de Bettencourt de Vasconcelos who (along with his brother-in-law, Captain-major Francisco Ornelas da Câmara) used this building in 1641 during their blockade of the fortress of São João Baptista, and carved-out trenches around the building in order to defend the site; * Manor of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios (), a former-residence of the Canto e Castro family, the 16th century manorhouse was constructed from the residential home of by Pero Anes do Canto, who was nominated as the first Provisionor-of-Arms (in 1527). Responsible for supporting the caravels and carracks that transited the Atlantic, the medieval post was centred in the manorhouse and his descendants expanded the group of buildings, including the large chapel, attributed to Pero's great-great-grandson; * Manor of the Count of Vila Flor (); * Palace of the Bettencourts (), a 17th-century building, originally a private home, that houses the public library and regional archives, that includes a repository of 400,000 books and two million documents; * Palace of the Captains-General (), located near the ''Largo Prior do Crato'', the 16th-century building, is intimately linked to the history : it was originally the Jesuit College of Saint Ignatius and later College of the
Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...
, before it was abandoned in 1759. When the office of Captain-General was created in 1766, the building was converted into the
official residence An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of th ...
of the Crowns representatives in the Azores, controlling the military, political, and administrative life of the archipelago; * Residence of Quinta de Nossa Senhora da Oliveira () * Cais da Alfândega * Cais da Silveira * Câmara Municipal de Angra do Heroísmo * Porto das Cinco Ribeiras


Military

The island of Terceira, dating from the 15th century had always been susceptible to attacks by pirates and privateers, first from Barbary coast pirates, but later by European powers who sought to capture spoils from the ships returning from the Far East. Following the personal union between Spain and Portugal, following the Dynastic Crisis, the need to protect the transit points of the Azores led to construction of several posts and redoubts along the coast of the island. Among the most important were: * Castle of Moinhos (), known as the ''Castle of São Cristóvão'', or ''Castle/Fort of São Luís'', is the ruins of a 16th-century fortification overlooking the city of Angra, today surmounted by the ''Alto da Memória'', a 19th-century obelisk dedicated to former King Peter IV of Portugal, whose forces defeated the absolute monarchy of his brother Miguel during the
Liberal Wars The Liberal Wars (), also known as the Portuguese Civil War () and the War of the Two Brothers () was a civil war in Portugal that lasted from May 1828 to May 1834, fought between liberal progressive constitutionalists (led by former King P ...
; * Fort of Cinco Ribeiras * Fort of Greta * Fort of Má Ferramenta (), used throughout the 16th to 20th century, the platform served for a time during the Second World War before being abandoned and left to ruin; * Fort of Negrito (), home to the Azorean Museum of Military History, Negrito was constructed in 1581 (simultaneously with the Fort of Salga) to provide protection from the then imminent Spanish attack caused by the Succession Crisis of 1580. * Fort of Salga * Fort of Santa Catarina das Mós * Fort of Santo António * Fort of Santo António do Monte Brasil (), the small fort, which was named after António of Portugal extended the defences of the Bay of Angra by crossing-fire with the Fort of São Sebastião, owing to the shorter range of the former; * Fort of São Benedito do Monte Brasil * Fort of São Fernando * Fort of São Francisco * Fort of São João (), also known as the Fort of Biscoitinhos, was included in the fortification plans of Tommaso Benedetto, but little was done to improve the large redoubt, which was mistakenly confused, at various times, with the Redoubt of Poço and/or Fort of Açougue; * Fort of São João Baptista (); Angra do Heroísmo is dominated by the cinder cone of Monte Brasil, on which is located the fortress of São João Baptista, originally completed as the ''Fort of São Filipe'', during the
Philippine dynasty The Philippine dynasty (), also known as the House of Habsburg in Portugal, was the third royal house of Portugal. It was named after the three Habsburg Spanish kings, all named Philip (; , ), who ruled Portugal between 1581 and 1640 under th ...
, under the reign of
Philip II of Spain Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...
. The fortress, which includes a primary bulwark and encircled by line of walls with four hundred pieces of artillery, used to protected shipping that returned from the East Indies (laden with gold and silver). The fortress is dominated by the Church of São João Baptista () and parade grounds, completed at the end of the end of the Iberian union, following the restoration of Portuguese sovereignty in 1640. At that time, the fortress was renamed to correspond with the name of the church. * Fort of São Sebastião ()At the other end of the Bay of Angra, opposite the ''Porto de Pipas'' (''Port of Barrels''), is the Fort of São Sebastião, built in the 16th century on the order of King Sebastian. The scope of its cannons were interlocked with the ranges of the cannons on Monte Brasil and three other small forts along the coastline, creating an effective defensive system for the port, which had been a favourite target for pirates. The ''Castelo de São Sebastião'' has been transformed into a charming hotel, one of the forty-odd '' pousadas'' (inns in historic buildings) of Portugal; this transformation preserves its original historic character, but the plumbing has been modernized, and some non-visible structural elements have been strengthened. * Fort of the Zimbreiro * Fortress of São Mateus da Calheta (), part of a complex of six forts along the southern coast, the ''Great Fort'' was constructed after French pirates under Pierre Bertrand de Montluc attacked in 1567; * Fort of the Açougue * Fort of the Caninas * Fort of the Cavalas * Fort of the Church of São Mateus da Calheta * Fort of the Maré * Fort of the Terreiro * Redoubt of Dois Paus * Redoubt of Três Paus * Redoubt of Salga


Religious

At one stage, Angra had as many as nine convents, each with its own cloisters and churches. Most of these churches are from the Mannerist and Baroque periods, and they are remarkably grand if we bear in mind the poor quality of the stone to be found on the island. The interior decoration of these churches relied on the use of both traditional carved and gilded woodwork and the rich and exotic woods of Brazil. On the ''Ladeira de São Francisco'' in central Angra is the ''Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Guia'' (Church of Our Lady of Guia), where the seafarer Paulo da Gama is buried. He accompanied his brother
Vasco da Gama Vasco da Gama ( , ; – 24 December 1524), was a Portuguese explorer and nobleman who was the Portuguese discovery of the sea route to India, first European to reach India by sea. Da Gama's first voyage (1497–1499) was the first to link ...
on his first sea voyage to India in 1497. * Chapel/Hospital of Nossa Senhora da Boa Nova () * Chapel of the Misericórdia of São Sebastião () * Church of the
Society of Jesus The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rome. It was founded in 1540 ...
College () * Convent of the Conceptionists () * Convent of São Gonçalo (), established in 1542, through the initiative of nobleman Brás Pires do Canto, to shelter the Clarisse sisters, surviving to 1832 when it was the only surviving convent after the expulsion of the religious orders. It is considered one of the best surviving Baroque era religious institutions in the Azores. * Convent of Santo António dos Capuchos () * Hermitage of Santo Cristo do Cruzeiro () * (Old) Church of São Mateus da Calheta ()


Culture


Azorean bullfight

The Portuguese version of bullfighting differs considerably from its Spanish counterpart, and the Azorean variety, which began on Terceira, differs from the mainland style in some important respects also. The Azorean bullfight ritual involves " audience participation" in a way that recalls the "running of the bulls" at
Pamplona Pamplona (; ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Navarre, Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. Lying at near above sea level, the city (and the wider Cuenca de Pamplona) is located on the flood pl ...
(Spain). On Terceira, 4 fighting bulls are enclosed in separate wooden crates for several hours and transported to the village where the bullfight will happen, then a long stout rope is secured around each bull's neck.
Fireworks Fireworks are Explosive, low explosive Pyrotechnics, pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large numbe ...
are exploded to signal the citizens that a bull will soon be let loose in the public square. Once the bull is released, some young men take hold of the rope to try to control the bull's head, and others taunt the bull with everything from brightly colored fighting capes to
parasol An umbrella or parasol is a folding canopy (building), canopy supported by wooden or metal ribs that is mounted on a wooden, metal, or plastic pole. It is usually designed to protect a person against rain. The term ''umbrella'' is traditionall ...
s. A free-for-all ensues while the bull drags some men around by the rope and tries to punish his tormenters, by butting them to the ground and goring them (with blunted horns), or by trampling over them. This is a popular leisure activity and public entertainment; it is known as the ''tourada à corda'' (). Eventually, the bull is funneled through the city streets to the bullring, the ''Praça de Toiros da Ilha'' (Island Bullring), in the eastern part of Angra, where a traditional Portuguese-style bullfight is held. From May 1 to September 30, there are daily touradas; in fact, sometimes there are two or three in one day.


Education

The
University of the Azores The University of the Azores (Portuguese: ''Universidade dos Açores''), or commonly abbreviated as ''UAc'', is the only public university in the Autonomous Region of the Azores. It was founded on January 9, 1976, two years after the Carnation Re ...
, which has its principal campus on the island of São Miguel, has a subsidiary campus in Angra do Heroísmo, where the Department of Agrarian Sciences ('' Departamento de Ciências Agrárias'') is located. This institution is a center for advanced scientific and agricultural studies, and it attracts students from the entire archipelago, as well as foreign students from many countries. The '' Instituto Histórico da Ilha Terceira'' (IHIT), which means, in Portuguese, the "Terceira Island Historical Institute", is a private cultural association, dedicated to the investigation and study of the history of the Azores. It is organized as an academy, and it sponsors classes, lectures, and symposia on various topics. The institute was founded in 1942 by the city of Angra do Heroísmo.


Sport

Angra has a
football team A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-st ...
, named S.C. Angrense, that is part of the Associação de Futebol de Angra do Heroísmo. Sport Clube Lusitânia houses the main football and basketball teams on the island. The region's football association is located in Angra do Heroísmo.


Twin towns — sister cities

Angra do Heroísmo is twinned with: * Tulare, United States, since 1966 * Salvador, Brazil, since 1985 *
Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England. It is a market town and has a Minster (church), minster church. Its population in 2011 was 64,621. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century priory, monastic foundation, owned by the ...
, United States, since 1986 *
Évora Évora ( , ), officially the Very Noble and Ever Loyal City of Évora (), is a city and a municipalities of Portugal, municipality in Portugal. It has 53,591 inhabitants (2021), in an area of . It is the historic capital of the Alentejo reg ...
, Portugal, since 1988 *
Florianópolis Florianópolis () is the capital and second largest city of the state of Santa Catarina (state), Santa Catarina, in the South Region, Brazil, South region of Brazil. The city encompasses Santa Catarina Island and surrounding small islands, as we ...
, Brazil, since 1994 * Gustine, United States, since 2002 * São Vicente, Cape Verde, since 2003 * Gramado, Brazil, since 2004 * Gilroy, United States, since 2005 * Porto Novo, Cape Verde, since 2011 * Cartagena, Colombia, since 2015 *
Jining Jining () is a former capital of Shandong. Is a prefecture-level city in southwestern Shandong province. It borders Heze to the southwest, Zaozhuang to the southeast, Tai'an to the northeast, and the provinces of Henan and Jiangsu to the no ...
, China, since 2015 * Alenquer, Portugal, since 2016 *
Funchal Funchal () officially Funchal City (), is the capital, largest city and a Municipality (Portugal), municipality in Portugal's Madeira, Autonomous Region of Madeira, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The city has a population of 105,795, making it ...
, Portugal, since 2016


Notable people

*
Gaspar Corte-Real Gaspar Corte-Real (1450–1501) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Exploration, explorer who, alongside his father João Vaz Corte-Real and brother Miguel Corte-Real, Miguel, participated in various exploratory voyages sponsored by the Portuguese ...
(1450 in Angra - 1501) explorer towards parts of eastern Canada. * Brianda Pereira (ca.1550 in Angra — ca.1620) an Azorean later politicised for her role in the Battle of Salga * António Cordeiro (1641 in Angra – 1722) Catholic priest, Azorean historian and author * Manuel Inácio Martins Pamplona Corte Real (1760 in Angra – 1832) a nobleman and politician. * Peter Francisco (1760 in Porto Judeu – 1831) an American patriot and soldier in the
American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...
. * Francisco Ferreira Drummond (1796 in Vila de São Sebastião – 1858) an historian, palaeographer, musician and politician * Diogo de Barcelos Machado Bettencourt (1847 in Angra – 1922) politician and judicial magistrate * José Júlio de Souza Pinto (1856 in Angra - 1939) a painter in the
naturalist Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...
style. * Ana Augusta de Castilho (1860 in Angra – 1916) a feminist, teacher, propagandist, freemason, and republican * Manuel António Lino (1865 in Angra – 1927) a physician, politician, poet, dramatist and civil governor * Maria Teodora Pimentel (1865 in Angra -??) first female doctor from the Azores * Francisco Coelho Maduro Dias (1904 in Angra – 1986) a poet, painter, sculptor, illustrator, teacher, set designer and an overall ''"theatre man"''. * António Dacosta (1914 in Angra – 1990) a painter, poet, art critic and pioneer of the
surrealist Surrealism is an art movement, art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike s ...
movement * Álvaro Monjardino (born 1930 in Angra) lawyer and politician * Dionísio Mendes de Sousa (born 1940 in Vila de São Sebastião) a politician, writer, educator, and former president of the
Legislative Assembly of the Azores The Legislative Assembly of the Azores () is the regional assembly/legislature of the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal. History The regional legislative assembly, since it was first instituted, has maintained its seat in the city of Ho ...
. *
José Guilherme Reis Leite José Guilherme Reis Leite GC IH (Angra do Heroísmo, 25 December 1943 — ), is a professor, historian and Azorean politician, whose functions included his role as Regional Secretary for Education and Culture, deputy and President of the Legisl ...
(born 1943 in Angra) a professor, historian and Azorean politician *
Vítor Gonçalves Vítor Gonçalves is a Portuguese filmmaker, film director, screenwriter and film producer. He is considered to be part of The School of Reis film family. Career Vítor Gonçalves was born in 1951 to Vasco Gonçalves. In 1979, he graduated fro ...
(born 1951 in Angra) a filmmaker, film director, screenwriter and film producer. Vítor Gonçalves, IMDb Database
retrieved 08 August 2021.
* Helder Antunes (born 1963 in Angra) a Portuguese-American executive, computer scientist and former racing car driver. * Eliseu Pereira dos Santos (born 1983 in Angra) known as
Eliseu Eliseu Pereira dos Santos (born 1 October 1983), known simply as Eliseu (), is a Portuguese former professional Association football, footballer who played either as a left-back or winger (association football), left winger. After starting ou ...
, footballer with 355 club caps and 29 for
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
* Jaime Seidi (born 1989 in Angra) a footballer of Bissau-Guinean descent with over 170 club caps * Isaiah Campbell (born 1997 in Angra) an American baseball player for the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...


See also

*
Political status of the Autonomous Region of the Azores The political status of the Azores is defined by the Political-Administrative Statute of the Autonomous Region of the Azores (, EPARAA), which acts as the standard legal constitutional framework for the autonomy of the Portuguese archipelago of t ...
* Political sub-divisions of Portugal


Notes


References

* * * * * *


External links


Explore the Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores in the UNESCO collection on Google Arts and Culture

Photos from Angra do Heroísmo

The Azores Islands, Site with abundant information about Angra do Heroísmo
{{DEFAULTSORT:Angra do Heroismo Municipalities of the Azores Populated places established in the 15th century