Madalena (Madalena)

Madalena
Civil parish (Freguesia)
The sentinels of the parish of Madalena, the Ihéu em Pé and the Ilhéu Caido
Coat of arms
Official name: Freguesia de Madalena
Named for: Santa Maria Madalena
Country	Portugal
Autonomous Region	Azores
Island	Pico
Municipality	Madalena
Localities	Areia Larga, Barca, Cabo Branco, Madalena, Sete Cidades, Toledos, Valverde
Center	Areia Larga
- coordinates	38°32′0″N 28°31′38″W / 38.53333°N 28.52722°W / 38.53333; -28.52722Coordinates: 38°32′0″N 28°31′38″W / 38.53333°N 28.52722°W / 38.53333; -28.52722
Highest point	Mount Pico
- elevation	2,351 m (7,713 ft)
- coordinates	38°28′6″N 28°23′56″W / 38.46833°N 28.39889°W / 38.46833; -28.39889
Lowest point	Sea level
- location	Atlantic Ocean
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Area	35.59 km2 (14 sq mi)
Population	2,581 (2011)
Settlement	15th century
- Parish	1542
LAU	Junta Freguesia
Timezone	WET (UTC0)
- summer (DST)	WEST (UTC+1)
Area code & prefix	(+351) XXX XX XX XX
Patron saint	Santa Maria Madalena
Location of the civil parish seat of Madalena in the municipality (concelho) of Madalena
Website: http://www.cm-madalena.pt/pt/o-concelho/as-freguesias/item/as-freguesias/madalena
Geographic detail from CAOP (2010) produced by Instituto Geográfico Português (IGP)

Madalena is a civil parish in the municipality (concelho) of Madalena in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The population in 2011 was 2,581, in an area of 35.59 km². The parish of Madalena is the authority responsible for the administration and distribution of social services and economic programs in the local seat of the municipality of the same name.

Originally known as Lugar dos Ilhéus (literally, the place of the islets), the parish was founded sometime before 1542. Fisherman had established a small colony of homes during the first half of the 15th century. At that time, the parish included the areas known as Toledos, Sete Cidades, Cabo Branco, Barca, Valverde, and Areia Larga.

The parish is bounded by the parishes of Bandeiras to the north and west and Criação Velha to the south: a pie-shaped wedge that extends from the coast to the summit of Pico. The main regional E.R.1-2ª roadway travels along the coast into Madalena, from Baixio Grande in the northeast (at Bandeiras) to Sertão and Canada João Paulinho in the southwest (at the border with Criação Velha). Meanwhile, near the main medical centre, the E.R.3-2ª bisects the parish and continues to the centre of the island: the former Estrada Longitudanal. Finally, from the main square (Largo Cardeal Costa Nunes) a variant of the E.R.1-2ª continues to Bandeiras.

Agriculture, herding, dairy, vineyards, fishing, shipbuilding, and sawmilling have been the primary industries in the region since its creation. These activities were extended by civil construction, carpentry, hotels, restaurants, and other public services, with most of the half of the 20th century dedicated to tourism-related projects.

The region's rich architectural heritage is preserved by several buildings, such as the parochial Church of Santa Maria Madalena (Igreja de Santa Maria Madalena), which was initially constructed in the 16th century, later reconstructed in the 19th century, and then severely damaged during an earthquake on 9 July 1998. Many of the former homes and estates of early colonists, including the island's Captain-Major (in Valverde), the estate manorhouses of Verdelho wine producers (dating to the 18th and 19th centuries) in Areia Larga; and the homes along zones of Valverde, Bicadas and maritime coast.