1522 Vila Franca earthquake

The 1522 Vila Franca earthquake, alternately the 1522 Vila Franca landslide (Portuguese: Subversão de Vila Franca or Terramoto de Vila Franca) refers to the great earthquake and landslides that occurred between 21–22 October 1522, in the municipality of Vila Franca do Campo (then provincial capital), on the island of São Miguel, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores.

The earthquakes' epicentre were situated several kilometres north-northwest of Vila Franca, and had a maximum intensity of X (Very destructive) on the European macroseismic scale. This resulted in the movement of landforms above the settlement, resulting in landslides and lahar that moved 6,750,000 cubic metres (238,000,000 cu ft) of material down the surrounding slopes, causing the destruction of buildings, deaths and inundated the settlement with debris. As a consequence almost the entirety of the settlement, between 3000 and 5000 people, were killed. In addition to the destruction of Vila Franca, the earthquake affected the neighbouring settlements, including Ponta Garça, Maia and Porto Formoso (where thousands were killed). A tsunami formed by the lahar caused the destruction of several boats that were located near the islet of Vila Franca, and the death of at most a hundred people. Gaspar Frutuoso, writing 70 years following the destruction, remembered a complete record of the events, writing a oral romance on Vila Franca.

Between the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century, the settlement of Vila Franca do Campo became a strong provincial capital of the island of São Miguel. Elevated to the status of municipality in 1472, the town was the centre of the principal civil and religious institutions of the island, residence of the Donatary-Captain and, by consequence, the seat of the islands' most powerfal family (the Gonçalves da Câmara clan), that would later receive the title of Counts of Vila Franca. The presence of the main customshouse and relative shelter of the villages' islet, made the port of Vila Franca the primary entryway to the island.

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