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. 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 ...

on the Portuguese island of São Miguel in 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 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 Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

in the

Portuguese language Portuguese ( or ) is a Western Romance language of the Indo-European language family originating from the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. It is the official language of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and São Tom� ...

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

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 ...

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 (, of unknown etymology) is a Portuguese term of obscure origin used to describe Supralittoral zone, supratidal scree, talus at the foot of coastal cliffs, caused by landslides or lava flows.G. Lameiras et al. (2009), p.827 Although relatively c ...

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.

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 Ribeira Grande may refer to the following places: Cape Verde * Ribeira Grande (stream), a stream on the island of Santo Antão * Ribeira Grande, Cape Verde, a town on the island of Santo Antão * Ribeira Grande, Cape Verde (municipality), a municip ...

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 ''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

Tourism

It is a very popular parish in the summer, both by residents of the island and by national and foreign tourists. Ideal place for those who love the coast and the sea, whether for bathing or fishing, or to kayak along the coast. There is also the Caminho Velho that connects Mosteiros (Lombas) to the Miradouro do Escalvado or the other that connects Mosteiros to João Bom do Pilar da Bretanha. Since 2016 it has been possible to take boat trips from the port and see whales and dolphins or visit the islets or Ferraria by sea. It is possible to enjoy one of the most beautiful sunsets on the island. Local restaurants are in great demand for fish and seafood dishes. There are some snack bars in the area as well.

Economy

Fishing is still practiced with nets and also with handline method, and agriculture dominates in the interior, with herding of dairy cattle and the cultivation of some fruits and vegetables.

Culture

There is a music festival in Mosteiros
Festival das Marés
wher
Banda Fundação Brasileira
organizes 3 days of music and even play with one of the guest artist. There is also another philharmonic band in Mosteiros
Banda Harmonia Mosteirense
in the past there was a rivalry between the two bands, something that has stopped and all are friends now. There is also festivities in honour of the patron saint that occur on the third Sunday of August.

References

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