Rabo de Peixe
Rabo de Peixe is a civil parish in the municipality of Ribeira Grande in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The population in 2011 was 8,866, in an area of 16.96 km2. It is the most populous and most densely populated parish in the municipality. It contains the localities Charco, Custódio, Labardas, Nogueira, Pico da Madeira, Pico da Varanda, Pico do Bode, Pico do Refugio, Rebentão, Santana, São Sebastião, Senhora da Conceição and Tulha.
History
It is uncertain when the territory was settled, although it is assumed that the settlement of Ribeira Grande may have directly affected colonization of the area. Local sources put the colonization at around the 15th century, by Flemish and Moorish settlers.Its toponomy was first defined by Father Gaspar Frutuoso during the 16th century, who reflected on the fact that the area received its name owing to the physical topography. As he indicated, the terrestrial physiography, and specifically the land around one of its bays resembled a fish tail, or in Portuguese rabo de peixe. Similarly, another reference by the priest and chronicler indicated that the area was also known for the discovery of the tail of a large unknown species of fish, and may have received its name from this legendary account.
The Church of Senhor Bom Jesus was constructed in the 18th century: the project was started in 1690 and concluded in 1735 in the Baroque style typical of the islands.
In the locality of Santana, a fertile plain that extends from Rabo de Peixe until the edge of the town of Ribeira Grande was used during the era of the Second World War as a military airfield. Following 1946, it was transformed into the islands first civilian airport, before being abandoned in favour of the Ponta Delgada-Nordela air strip along the southern coast.
Rabo de Peixe was elevated to the status of town on 25 April 2004.
Owing to the importance of the port the economy and life of the civil parish, on the 19 August 2012, then-president Carlos Cesar announced the remodelling and extension of the port facility, which includes two new wings: a southern dock, and the a northern dock, that runs perpendicular. The project who allow the shelter of ships and equipment within a area. In addition, the port facility would include a floating dock and three piers, in addition to expansion of port facilities to include ramps and docks for the repair of boats, fish-houses and a new roadway that would circle the complex.
Economy
Essentially, the parish's economy is driven by primary resource production that includes fishing and agriculture, with secondary industries associated with these sectors, including civil construction, fish-processing and some milk-processing facilities.Culture
Owing to its history, Rabo de Peixe is an area of strong heritage and cultural traditions, that includes traditional festivals, folklore, music and a large architectural patrimony. The religious festivals are valued by the local population, and attract many visitors throughout the year. The begin immediately on the first day of the New Year, with the ‘’Festa do Senhor Bom Jesus’’, the patron saint, but also include the devotional celebrations associated with the Holy Spirit throughout the summer after Pentecosts.The ‘’Festa da Bandeiras’’ is one of the more expressive celebrations and includes both the commemorations of the ‘’Festas da Beneficência’’ and the ‘’Festas da Caridade’’. Accompanying these flags are the ‘’Despensas’’ and ‘’Bailinhos’’, two dances typical of the historical Rabo de Peixe.
There are six coronations associated with the celebrations to the Holy Spirit in Rabo de Peixe: São Sebastião, São João, São Pedro, Dos Inocentes, Santíssima Trindade and Rosário.
On the first Sunday in October is the celebration of the Feast of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, marked by a ceremonial procession through the town. The following day, there is also procession which winds through the main roads, which is comparable to the procession through the streets of Ponta Delgada during the festival of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres.
Celebrations in honour of Santa Cecília and Nossa Senhora da Conceição, patron saints of the local philharmonic bands also result in processions, as well as the processions celebrating São Sebastião, Senhor dos Passos, Ramos, Senhor Morto, Senhor Ressuscitado, Enfermos and São Pedro Gonçalves.
The feasts of the Holy Spirit include the folkloric ‘’Despensas’’ that is different then the traditional dances on the island, that include the ‘’Balho dos Homens da Terra’’ and the ‘’Balho dos Homens do Mar’’, which are danced solely by men, accompanied by castanhetas. Throughout the dance women do participate, but they never begin the dance with the men.
The two philharmonic bands of Rabo de Peixe both have a century of existence: the ‘’Sociedade Filarmónica Lira do Norte’’ and the ‘’Filarmónica Progresso do Norte’’.
Notable citizens
- António José Moniz, a Franciscan priest, orator and colonial missionary, known as Father António do Presépio ;
- Paul José Tavares, priest and, later, Bishop of Macau, where he shifted the attention of the clergy in the Asia away from the traditional Luso-dominated conclaves to Asian-born clergy;
- Manuel António Vasconcelos, journalist and founder of the newspapers Açoriano Oriental and O Temp;
- Ruy Galvão de Carvalho, poet, author, essayist and professor, who was notable for his biography of the life and published works of Antero de Quental, and a diverse literary collection under the pseudonym Abd-el Kader, as well as his Antologia Poética dos Açores
- António Tavares Torres, a self-taught intellectual, journalist, poet, lyricist and politician ;
- José Amaral da Luz, poet and recognized "King" of the Cavalhadas de São Pedro da Ribeira Seca;
- António Raposo de Amaral, poet, author and bibliophile;
- António Tavares Penacho, founder of the typography studio Insular e Gerente da Oficina de Artes Gráficas, printing the newspaper A Ilha;
- José Vieira, a set designer responsible for constructing a large removable stage that allowed the Revistas Lanterna Mágica e Bota to travel throughout the island putting on plays, and who, along with Santo Figueira and Vítor Cruz, was responsible for the great dances in the Coliseu theatre in Ponta Delgada;
- Francisco Manuel Raposo de Almeida, editor of the Tribuno do Povo, who in the middle of the 19th century emigrated to Brazil, where he was involved in other newspapers, before becoming an author, playwright and historian;