Madre de Deus Manor

Manor of Madre de Deus (Solar da Madre de Deus)
Manor of the Mother of God
Manorhouse (Solar)
The location of the manorhouse in the foothills of Angra do Heroísmo
Official name: Solar e Capela da Madre de Deus
Named for: Mother of God
Country	Portugal
Region	Azores
Group	Central
Island	Terceira
Municipality	Angra do Heroísmo
Location	Sé
- coordinates	38°39′27.40″N 27°13′27.96″W / 38.6576111°N 27.2244333°W / 38.6576111; -27.2244333Coordinates: 38°39′27.40″N 27°13′27.96″W / 38.6576111°N 27.2244333°W / 38.6576111; -27.2244333
Length	44.75 m (147 ft), Southwest-Northeast
Width	28.25 m (93 ft), Northwest-Southeast
Architects	unknown
Style	Baroque
Origin	17th century
Owner	Portuguese Republic
For public	Private
Visitation	Closed
Easiest access	Rua da Boavista, Rua da Madre de Deus
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Name	Central Zone of the Town of Angra do Heroismo in the Azores
Year	1983 (#7)
Number	206
Region	Europe and North America
Criteria	iv, vi
Management	Direção Regional de Cultura
Operator	Câmara Municipal de Angra do Heroísmo
Status	Property of Public Interest Imóvel de Interesse Público
Listing	Regional Government Presidential Resolution 41/1980; JORAA, Série I (20), 11 June 1980; Included in the urban centre of the City of Angra do Heroísmo (PT071901160035)
Location of the former-convent in the municipality of Angra do Heroismo

Manor of Madre de Deus (Portuguese: Solar da Madre de Deus) is a historic former residence of the Bettencourt family in the civil parish of Sé, in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo, in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores.

The manor was constructed by the Majorat and Captain-major of Angra, João de Bettencourt de Vasconcelos (an extended member of the Bettencourt family) in the second half of the 17th century, from a small residence whose principal facade was oriented towards the east (now the wall dividing the dining-room in the principal edifice).

João de Bettencourt de Vasconcelos, along with his brother-in-law, Captain-major Francisco Ornelas da Câmara (who presided over the local Military War Council) used this building in 1641 during their blockade of the fortress of São João Baptista, and carved-out trenches around the building in order to defend the site.

Following years of political instability, the site became a centre of equestrianism on Terceira, with various redoubts and ring, supporting and teaching several famous bullfighters from around the island.

The small chapel at the site is dedicated to the invocation of Nossa Senhora da Madre de Deus (Our Lady the Mother of God) and was constructed in 1727, under the initiative of Vital de Bettencourt de Vasconcelos, the great-great grandson of João de Bettencourt. The following year, on 15 June, the Bishop of Angra, D. Manuel Álvares da Costa, passed a charter to establish a cult, owing to "the parameters necessary, bell-tower and doorway towards the road". This last detail implied that the hermitage was a public space, since the door was allows to be open to those who wished to assist the religious services.