Fajã de Cima 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. Civil parishes can trace their origin to the ancient system of parishes, w ...

in the

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

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 ...

in the Portuguese archipelago 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 ...

. Fajã de Cima is located in the

Picos Picos is a municipality in the state of Piauí in the Northeast region of Brazil. Picos is the state's third-largest city, located in the south-central region of Piauí and is the most economically developed city in the region. The city's financ ...

region in the western part of the island of São Miguel, north of central Ponta Delgada. The population in 2011 was 3,438, in an area of 11.89 km².Eurostat

History

The history of Fajã de Cima is intimately related with the history of

Fajã de Baixo (, of unknown etymology) 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 ar ...

, historically referred to as the ''Lugar das Fajãs'' (''place of the Fajãs'').DRAC (2010), p.20

Gaspar Frutuoso Gaspar Frutuoso ( 1522 – 1591) 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 his detailed descriptions of the histo ...

, in the 16th century, mentioned: :''"To the interior, to the north, one quarter league from the city, between vineyards, is the parish of the place of Fajã, whose church is in the invocation of Our Lady of Angels."'' Cândido Abranches, in 1869 referred: :''"...it is written in the Book of the Tomb, of that parish...we can see that the parochial church was constructed in the site of Fajã de Cima...it was constructed in 1532. The one that today exists, was constructed in 1791, it is one nave and has six altars."'' Abranches goes on to note: :''"Following the road that extends to the right of the church, you'll reach Fajã de Cima...The two Fajãs are connected to the city...The upper, very populous, has a small and very ruined church to the organ of Our Lady of the Olives...This place is to the north of the city, a distance of 2 kilometre, in an elevated position..."''

Geography

Fajã de Cima has been a "bedroom" community of Ponta Delgada, and responsible for the largest population influx. It contains the localities Carreira and Fajã de Cima.

History

Geography

Architecture

References

Notes

Sources