Angra do Heroísmo is an Azorean city located on Terceira island and the seat of a municipality with about 33,799 inhabitants, spread among its 19 parishes, from Raminho to São Sebastião.
Angra do Heroísmo, considered World Heritage Site by UNESCO, has always maintained the same urban and built structure of the Historical Centre, with its streets, manor houses, churches, palaces, which have been persevered throughout time until today, distinguishing itself with great patrimonial value throughout the Azores archipelago. Among many architectural elements that constitute the vast patrimony of Terceira, the Alto da Memória in Monte Brasil stands out, from where it is possible to observe the entire historical centre of Angra do Heroísmo, this sumptuous monument is an obelisk that was erected in homage to the passage of D. Pedro IV through Terceira during the Portuguese Civil War, being the first stone for its construction one of those that the emperor stepped on when he landed in 1832. The fort of São João Baptista, also located on Monte Brasil, is a great example of military architecture in the Azores, having been built to defend the city more than 400 years ago. It is currently the headquarters of the Regimento de Guarnição n.º 1, one of the oldest Portuguese military units.
As for the palaces, museums and other monuments and buildings that fall within the context of civil architecture, these also have the same architectural features as churches, we have thus, the Palace of the Captains-General, Bettencourt Palace, Paços do Concelho, Solar and Chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, which was built by Pêro Anes do Canto, to serve as his residence and as Provedoria of the Armed Forces. Currently, it is in the possession of the Regional Government of the Azores, serving as its secretariat. The Praça de Touros, in Angra do Heroísmo, is also another example of Terceira island’s characteristic civil architecture and the stage of a great tradition that reigns in this island, the bullfights.
Angra do Heroísmo is the stage of the biggest profane festivity of Terceira island, the Sanjoaninas, which every year are the reason for the great adhesion of many Azoreans from all the islands and emigrants, as well as other visitors, to the city of Angra do Heroísmo. This is a festivity that lasts more than a week, which requires months of preparation and is characterised by its joyful marches in honour of Saint John, which parade through the historical centre of the city keeping Angra awake all night long. These festivities are also accompanied by tasquinhas where it is possible to taste the typical food of Terceira, various musical shows, and many other parades besides the marches, thus ensuring the well-known expression that the island of Terceira is the “amusement park of the Azores”.
Last modified: 31 de May, 2022
