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Vila Franca do Campo (Azores)

Vila Franca do Campo
Municipality (Concelho)
SMG VFCVila Franca.JPG
The town of Vila Franca do Campo, with its emblematic volcanic islet, the Ilhéu da Vila Franca
Flag
Coat of arms
Official name: Concelho da Vila Franca do Campo
Name origin: Portuguese for the free town of the field
Motto: Quis sicut deus?; Who is like God?
Country  Portugal
Autonomous Region  Azores
Island São Miguel
Civil Parishes Água de Alto, Ponta Garça, Ribeira das Tainhas, Ribeira Seca, São Miguel, São Pedro
Center São Pedro
Highest point Pico do Barrosa
 - elevation 949 m (3,114 ft)
 - coordinates 37°45′38″N 25°29′30″W / 37.76056°N 25.49167°W / 37.76056; -25.49167
Lowest point Sea level
 - location Atlantic Ocean
 - elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Area 77.97 km2 (30 sq mi)
 - water 1.59 km2 (1 sq mi)
 - urban 3.1 km2 (1 sq mi)
Population 11,229 (2011)
Density 144/km2 (373/sq mi)
Settlement 14th Century
 - Municipality 1472
LAU Câmara Municipal
 - location Praça da República, São Miguel
 - elevation 23 m (75 ft)
 - coordinates 37°42′54″N 25°26′9″W / 37.71500°N 25.43583°W / 37.71500; -25.43583
President Ricardo Manuel de Amaral Rodrigues (PS)
Municipal Chair Lucindo dos Anjos de Fontes Couto (PS)
Timezone Azores (UTC-1)
 - summer (DST) Azores (UTC0)
Postal Zone 9680-115
Area Code & Prefix (+351) 296 XX XX XX
Demonym Vilafranquense
Patron Saint São João
Municipal Holidays 24 June
LocalVilaFrancaDoCampo.png
Location of the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo in the archipelago of the Azores
Website: http://www.cmvfc.pt
Statistics from INE (2001); geographic detail from Instituto Geográfico Português (2010)

Vila Franca do Campo (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈvilɐ ˈfɾɐ̃kɐ ðu ˈkɐ̃pu]) is a town and municipality in the southern part of the island of São Miguel in the Portuguese Autonomous Region of the Azores. The population of the municipality was 11,229 in 2011, in an area of 77.97 km². The town proper, which incorporates the urbanized parishes São Miguel and São Pedro, has 4100 inhabitants.

Vila Franca do Campo displays its municipal motto, Quis sicut deus?, on its flag and on its coat-of-arms. This Latin phrase means "Who is like God?" It is a reference to St. Michael the Archangel for whom the island of São Miguel is named; in Hebrew, the name, Michael, means "he who is like God".

Founded in the middle of the 15th century by Gonçalo Vaz Botelho, the settlement was elevated to the status of vila (town) in 1472; Vila Franca do Campo quickly grew into the largest settlement and administrative seat of the island of São Miguel.

The greatest tragedy to befall the Azores occurred on 20 October 1522, when a violent earthquake hit the area of Vila Franca do Campo, then capital of the archipelago and most important Azorean settlement. During the earthquake and subsequent landslide, 5000 people were killed, with then Captain-Donatário Rui Gonçalves da Câmara II escaping the tragedy: he was relaxing in his summer home in Lagoa at the time of the tragedy. Many of the residents were buried alive from a landslide and debris. Because of its destruction, the capital of São Miguel was transferred to Ponta Delgada, where the Captain-Donatário installed his administration in a residence near the Church of São Pedro. King John III eventually elevated Ponta Delgada to the status of city on 2 April 1546, attracting more and more economic activity and settlement.


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