SANTANA
(PARISH OF SANTANA)
32° 48' 22" N, 16° 52' 50" W
Santana is a Portuguese parish in the municipality of Santana, with an area of 17.80 km² and 2838 inhabitants (2021). Its population density is 159.4 inhabitants/km².
History
The parish of Santana, created on June 4, 1552, is currently the seat of the municipality of the same name and is located on the north coast of the island of Madeira, approximately 400 meters above sea level.
From a very early age, it was characterized by traditional Madeiran historiography, as one of the most charming and picturesque places on the Island, marked, from the point of view of traditional architecture, by the typical thatched houses and, in terms of landscape, by boulevards of boxwoods and hydrangeas.
Some places such as Pico Cortado, Cova da Roda and Pico Ruivo are authentic privileged points for contemplating beautiful landscapes. A look at the coast, fully classified as a Natural Reserve, makes us feel the vigor of the waves foaming against the rocks.
From Achada do Teixeira, at approximately 1592 meters above sea level, we can find two geological formations that, due to their shapes, make us admit the artistic capabilities of nature, they are the "Cara" and the "Foot Man", from which the a legend that is told to the children of Santana. From this Achada we can walk to the highest point on the Island, Pico Ruivo, at 1862 meters above sea level.
The two religious buildings in Santana refer to the invocation of Santo António, a chapel that dates back to 1550, and Santa Ana, whose church dates back to the second half of the 17th century.
Economy
Agriculture has been the basis of subsistence for the population of Santana. It was once very rich in the production of wheat and corn, sugar cane, wine and cattle breeding. Today, it is interesting to see the cobs hanging from oak trees, next to houses to dry in the sun and, later, be used for family meals, in restaurants or as seeds for future crops.
About this plain, Gaspar Frutuoso wrote: "(…) a parish invoking Santa Ana, which will have up to forty houses. These are farming lands with a lot of bread and livestock; there are a lot of chestnuts and nuts, and lots of water and fruits from all over the world. luck."
On the seafront, there is a spacious fajã called Rocha do Navio, where vineyards and other tropical fruits such as banana trees abound.
For a long time, this parish was isolated and forgotten due to its difficult access. In recent years, the parish of Santana has undergone agricultural innovations and many intensive crops are already being observed. Agriculture continues to occupy 60% of the active population, with fruit growing and horticulture being those that attract the highest investment rate. Potatoes, corn, lemons and green beans are the most relevant crops.
However, the vast majority of its inhabitants struggled to survive, often being forced to share half of their production with their landlord. They lived in humble houses and, in times of severe crisis, caused by bad weather and plagues, they sought better luck in foreign destinations.
Another part of society, holders of some properties, masters, weavers and salesmen, managed a reasonable standard of living.
Only a handful of opulent lords, some of whom lived in Funchal, had a qualitatively superior life, as they rented their land or exploited it through a colonial system, thus enjoying the products grown on the land, worked by day laborers or caretakers. This elite included military personnel, members of the clergy, writers, and administration officials.
Water was essential for the productivity of the parish of Santana. In 1789, more than half a hundred levadas, large and small, ran on that plateau: the largest was Levada Velha, then Levadinha and many others. Ownership of this precious asset was the source of many disputes between the owning families.
Industry
The oldest mills were close to the rivers and belonged to the grantee who charged the fees and was responsible for their proper functioning.
"(…) It was a building with just one floor, enough to fit the stones, being traditional and similar to many others on the Island. The water comes from the levada on a high wall, next to which the mill is built. This water It falls into a kind of wooden kite, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, which moves a horizontal wheel, connected vertically by a rod with millstones." in "Santana - Men and subjects that illustrate it" In 1890 the sugar cane mill was established. Twenty years later, the license for the construction of a water-powered sugar cane grinding and distillation factory was granted.
From 1923 onwards, there were shoemakers, watchmakers, painters, bakers, tailors, blacksmiths and traders in general. In terms of establishments, the people had bakeries, grocery stores, butchers, breweries, and a butter factory at their disposal.
Lately, the industry has registered investments in the areas of civil construction and hotels. In addition to these, carpentry and aluminum metalworks stand out.
As the municipal seat, it is a parish with a great abundance of commerce and services. In addition to retail establishments, there is a supply market with cold rooms, calibration and weighing machines. In terms of services, the population has access to a Finance department with a Public Treasury treasury, a notary's office, a Civil, Land and Commercial Registry office, a post office with home distribution of correspondence, a fire brigade, a bank branch, insurance intermediaries, a law and accounting office.
In terms of basic infrastructure, the home water distribution network meets existing needs, although the percentage of treated water, collected from springs, only reaches 70%; in sanitation, septic tanks are the only way to dispose of wastewater; garbage collection is carried out three times a week, covering the entire village; in the network of educational establishments, studies go up to the 12th year: three public pre-primary education establishments, two public primary schools served by a cafeteria, and one private one, a 2nd and 3rd cycle school and secondary.
In health, Santana has a health center with emergency service operating 24 hours a day, a medical and nursing station, a private clinic, a clinical analysis laboratory (collection service only), a pharmacy and private offices for the most important specialties, except cardiology and psychiatry. Social action is guaranteed by a day center.
In terms of culture, several groups stand out: União Desportiva de Santana, Clube de Ténis de Table de Santana, Tuna and Grupo Coral de Santana, Grupo de Animação Lírios do Norte, and two folklore groups. For the practice of various sporting activities, there is a sports hall, a football field with synthetic turf and a small games field. To quench your spiritual thirst, there is a permanent library, complemented by the traveling library service, and a music school, an extension of the Madeira Music Conservatory.
Every year, in the second week of July, a folk festival lasting 48 hours takes place in this parish. In sport, there is an international badminton tournament, Santana Jovem, which takes place around Easter.
CASAS DE SANTANA
32.805653, -16.882611
Typical houses of Santana
The houses of Colmo or typical houses of Santana (in Portuguese: Casas típicas de Santana) are most often located between the municipality of Santana and the municipality of São Vicente. These triangular houses, which present a type of vernacular architecture, are among the most visited places on the island of Madeira. They are known in Portugal as the “casinhas de Santana”
Originally, these houses consisted of a ground floor, this was generally a living area divided into two rooms. The attic was generally used to store agricultural products. Thatched roofs must be removed and replaced every four years. This type of habitat was often subject to fires because cooking was often done over a wood fire.
History
The houses were made of wood and thatch, stones being rare in the region. The climate giving a cold winter, the wood and the thatched roof made it possible to adapt the houses to the seasons of the year, cool in summer and warm in winter. The facades were either stone or wood, and the wooden ones were designed to allow the house to be moved more easily.
Between 2002 and 2017, the municipality of Santana recorded the disappearance of more than 100 typical houses. The municipality of Santana has already acquired several houses to avoid their disappearance in certain neighborhoods. The current legal regime in terms of town planning makes it impossible to license the construction of typical residential houses, for reasons of standards.
Since 2010, the municipality of Santana has set itself the objective of preserving typical houses to preserve local tradition. In 2013, the municipality financed the restoration of eight thatched-roof houses to preserve this heritage.
Main location
The typical houses are generally located in the territories of the municipalities of Santana and São Vicente.
In the context of conservation and tourism, the civil parish of Santana hosts, near its town hall, a group of traditional houses. This place is a conservation area which has several houses typical of the region. They host small shops selling local products and crafts.
Architecture
These houses are made up of an attic, a ground floor and under some of them, there is also a cellar. The attic was mainly used to store agricultural products, the ground floor was generally a living room, divided in two. The cellar could, depending on the height, be used as a storage room or a bedroom.
Currently, in Santana, the most common type of construction is the gable front because it is easier to maintain. There were other forms of construction, rectangular, with two gables or even larger. There is a model, but regarding the dimension, each owner would build his Colmo house according to his needs and his land.
In this way, the dimensions below are an average:
Width: 4.64 meters
Length: 7 meters
Angle: 60º
WHAT TO DO
Pedestrianism
PR 9 - Levada do Caldeirão Verde
Following the levada from Queimadas and walking for approximately 6 km through forest and tunnels excavated in the basalt rock, when you arrive at Caldeirão Verde, enjoy a refreshing breeze and the tinkling sound of water that falls in a trickle through the huge gorge that is Caldeirão Verde.
Distance : 6.5 km (+ 6.5 km return)
Duration: 5h30min
Difficulty: Medium
Max altitude: 980m
Min altitude: 890m
Home: Queimadas Forest Park
End: Queimadas Forest Park
PR 18 - Levada do Rei
Built to transport water from Ribeiro Bonito to agricultural land in the parish of São Jorge, this levada connects the Quebradas Water Treatment Station, in S. Jorge, to the source of the levada in Ribeiro Bonito. Winding through a beautiful and verdant valley, this levada flows under the canopy of laurel, lemon and wine trees that abound there. The name Levada do Rei is because this was one of the paths used by the court when the King traveled to the Region.
Distance : 5.1 km (+ 5.1 km return)
Duration : 3h30min / 3h
Difficulty: Medium
Max altitude: 710m
Min altitude: 530m
Home : São Jorge WWTP
End: São Jorge WWTP
PR 1.2 - Vereda do Pico Ruivo
Starting at Achada do Teixeira, this path climbs along the slope that separates the slopes of Faial from those of Santana, until reaching the top of Pico Ruivo. This entire area, due to its exceptional natural wealth, is part of the European network of sites of community importance – Natura 2000 Network. In this area, meteorological changes are sudden and this area is often immersed in a sea of clouds, which despite being a beautiful spectacle , requires extra care.
Distance : 2.8 km (+ 2.8 km return)
Duration: 1h30min
Difficulty: Medium
Max altitude: 1861m
Min altitude: 1535m
Home : Achada do Teixeira
End : Achada do Teixeira
PR 11 - Vereda dos Balcões
Near the Parque Florestal do Ribeiro Frio you will easily find a sign indicating the direction of Vereda dos Balcões. Walking along the levada and enjoying the shade of the treetops you will quickly reach the panoramic Miradouro dos Balcões.
Distance : 1.5 km (+ 1.5 km return)
Duration: 1h30min
Difficulty: Easy
Max altitude: 630m
Min altitude: 630m
Start : ER103 (Ribeiro Frio)
End : ER 103 (Ribeiro Frio)
At the end of Vereda dos Balcões, you will find a viewpoint. There, birds eat birdseed from visitors' hands.
Right in front of the entrance to Vereda dos Balcões you can find the Ribeiro Frio Forest Park -Laurisilva Forest (Parque Florestal do Ribeiro Frio - Floresta Laurissilva), several small waterfalls and a trout breeding facility, which you can visit.
PR 1 - Vereda do Areeiro
Through the Central Mountain Massif, in an area that is part of the Natura 2000 Network, this trail connects the highest peaks on the island. Starting at Pico do Areeiro, this walk extends for several kilometers between climbs to the beautiful peaks that make up the central mountain range, offering unique landscapes where the warm colors of fantastic geomorphology merge with the green of the high-altitude vegetation.
Distance: 7 km or 5.6 km
Duration : 3h30min / 3h
Difficulty: Hard
Max altitude: 1861m
Min altitude: 1542m
Home: Pico do Areeiro Viewpoint
End: Pico Ruivo
Santana Mother Church
Santana Parish Church is located in the center of Santana.
Santana Parish Church is located in the center of Santana. This church was built in the late sixteenth century.
The church has a baroque style and you can see an altar with a gilded altarpiece and a screen in the center of the temple, representing Santa Ana and San Joaquin.
Address:
Rua Cónego Fernando Vaz, Nº2, Santana
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