Lagoa das Sete Cidades
| Lagoa das Sete Cidades | |
|---|---|
The twin lake complex of Sete Cidades, formed in the crater of the much larger Sete Cidades Massif
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| Location | Ponta Delgada, São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal |
| Coordinates | 37°51′18″N 25°47′11″W / 37.85500°N 25.78639°WCoordinates: 37°51′18″N 25°47′11″W / 37.85500°N 25.78639°W |
| Type | Crater lake |
| Catchment area | 19.3 km2 (7.5 sq mi) |
| Basin countries | (Azores) |
| Max. length | 4.225 km (2.625 mi) |
| Max. width | 2.030 km (1.261 mi) |
| Surface area | 4.35 km2 (1.68 sq mi) |
| Max. depth | 33 m (108 ft) |
| Surface elevation | 259 m (850 ft) |
| Settlements | Sete Cidades |
| References | |
Lagoa das Sete Cidades (Portuguese: [lɐˈɡo.ɐ dɐs ˈsɛt(ɨ) siˈdadɨʃ], "Lagoon of the Seven Cities") is a twin lake situated in the crater of a dormant volcano on the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. It consists of two small, ecologically different lakes connected by a narrow strait, which is crossed by a bridge. The volcano is located on the western third of the island of São Miguel. The Lagoa das Sete Cidades part of a natural landscape of communitarian interest: it is the largest body of water in the region and one of the most important freshwater resources in the archipelago.
The ancient story recounts the tale of a bad-tempered widower King and his daughter in a Kingdom in the Western Sea. He was a King, Lord of Alchemy and sorcerer, who lived exclusively for his daughter, Antília, and who would not let the Princess speak to anyone. Apart from the King, the Princess was raised by an old nurse, after the Queen had died. As the years progressed, the princess grew up to be a beautiful young woman and able to attract the attentions of any boy in the kingdom. However, the King restricted her movements to the castle and garden, and few ever saw her. But, unintimidated by her father, and with the help of the nurse, she escaped to the local hills and valleys, as her father slept after his lunch. During one of her escape adventures, she heard a song: the music was beautiful and enchanted her to follow it to its origins. Hiding from view, the princess found a young shepard playing a flute, sitting on top of a hill. For weeks she returned, listening to the young shepard, until she was discovered behind some bushes. The shepard boy fell in love with the princess, and they continued to meet afterwards, talking, laughing and enjoying each other's company, until the boy decided to ask the princess in marriage.
Early in the morning, the couple knocked on the door of the Castle, and asked the servants to speak to the King. Very nervous but determined, the shepard asked the King for his daughter in marriage. Reacting angrily, the King refused and expelled him from the Castle, and forbade his daughter from seeing the young boy. Not wishing more ill feelings, she followed the orders of her father, but met secretly with the shepard that afternoon in order to tell him that she would never see him again. Antília and the shepard boy cried all afternoon, embracing, and their tears formed two beautiful lakes, one green, for the Princess's eyes were green, and the other blue, for the shepard's eyes were likewise colored.
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Wikipedia