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Lomba da Maia

Lomba da Maia
Civil Parish
Flag
Coat of arms
Official name: Freguesia da Lomba da Maia
Name origin: Portuguese for hill of Maia
Country  Portugal
Autonomous Region  Azores
Island São Miguel
Municipality Ribeira Grande
Localities Maia, Burguete
Center Lomba da Maia
 - elevation 244 m (801 ft)
 - coordinates 37°49′48″N 25°21′09″W / 37.83000°N 25.35250°W / 37.83000; -25.35250Coordinates: 37°49′48″N 25°21′09″W / 37.83000°N 25.35250°W / 37.83000; -25.35250
Highest point Gafanhoto
 - location Pico Grande
 - elevation 715 m (2,346 ft)
 - coordinates 37°47′51″N 25°18′50″W / 37.79750°N 25.31389°W / 37.79750; -25.31389
Lowest point Sea level
 - location Atlantic Ocean
 - elevation 0 m (0 ft)
Area 20.47 km2 (8 sq mi)
 - water .001 km2 (0 sq mi)
 - urban .55 km2 (0 sq mi)
Population 1,152 (2011)
Density 56/km2 (145/sq mi)
Settlement c. 1510
 - Parish c. 1867
 - Civil Parish c. 1908
LAU Junta Freguesia
 - location Largo da Igreja
 - elevation 243 m (797 ft)
 - coordinates 37°49′47″N 25°21′13″W / 37.82972°N 25.35361°W / 37.82972; -25.35361
President Junta Hermano Manuel Sousa Cordeiro
President Assembleia Henrique Moniz Lourenço
Timezone Azores (UTC-1)
 - summer (DST) Azores (UTC0)
Postal Zone 9625-112
Area Code & Prefix (+351) 292 XXX-XXXX
Demonym Lomba-maiense
Patron Saint Nossa Senhora do Rosário

Lomba da Maia is a civil parish in the municipality of Ribeira Grande in the Portuguese Azores. The population in 2011 was 1,152, in an area of 20.47 km². It is situated on a plateau that overlooks the northern coast and the neighboring parish of Maia.

Little is known of the first settlers, although settlement may have occurred around 1510, and increased after the 1522 Vila Franca earthquake. Friar Montalverne indicated that the peoples of the area, thinking it to be Judgment Day, were admonished by the clergy to seek the blessing of Our Lady of the Rosary. thus beginning the regions devotion to this image of the Virgin.

The first temple constructed in Lomba da Maia to serve the public, was the Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário (Portuguese: Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Rosário), a small chapel completed by the local clergy in 1867. But, this chapel was insufficient to serve the growing needs: a church was begun in 1868 and its construction was supported by donations from the local communities. Although construction slowed, its completion was made possible by Father Manuel Moniz Medeiros and master José Fidalgo, who invested most of their earnings to its completion. Lomba da Maia, for a long time remained an enclave of the nearby parish of Maia. With the completion of the church, to the invocation of Sant'Ana, there was a move to elevate the village to parish: a fact that occurred several years later.

At the end of the 16th Century, Gaspar Frutuoso referred to the settlement briefly as: "Lomba da Maia part of the sunrise escarpment with Grotinha da Fonte and the sunset escarpment with Grota da Cruz". The chronicler, still, referred to the small chapel of Nossa Senhora do Rosário on Lomba Grande. Similarly, Francisco Afonso de Chaves e Melo wrote of the settlers of Lomba da Maia in the following terms: "after Porto Formoso is the locality of Maia, civil parish of Espírito Santo. This location is the best situated on the island and is likely to become a villa. There exists in this parish two clergy, whom are annexed to the Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário da Lomba and Nossa Senhora da Alegria in Furnas."

Between 1707 and 1760, the parish of Furnas was integrated into Lomba da Maia.


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