Santa Bárbara (Vila do Porto)
| Santa Bárbara | ||
| Civil parish (Freguesia) | ||
 The main village of Santa Bárbara located in the valley of the same name, in the interior of the island of Santa Maria
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| Official name: Freguesia de Santa Bárbara | ||
| Name origin: Portuguese for Saint Barbara | ||
| Country |  Portugal |
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| Autonomous region |  Azores |
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| Island | Santa Maria | |
| Municipality | Vila do Porto | |
| Center | Santa Bárbara | |
| - elevation | 220 m (722 ft) | |
| - coordinates | 36°59′5″N 25°4′6″W / 36.98472°N 25.06833°WCoordinates: 36°59′5″N 25°4′6″W / 36.98472°N 25.06833°W | |
| Highest point | Pico Alto | |
| - elevation | 579 m (1,900 ft) | |
| - coordinates | 36°58′46″N 25°5′27″W / 36.97944°N 25.09083°W | |
| Lowest point | Sea level | |
| - location | Atlantic Ocean | |
| - elevation | 0 m (0 ft) | |
| Area | 15.27 km2 (6 sq mi) | |
| - urban | .76 km2 (0 sq mi) | |
| Population | 405 (2011) | |
| Density | 27/km2 (70/sq mi) | |
| Settlement | 16th century | |
| LAU | Junta Freguesia | |
| - location | Termo da Igreja | |
| President Junta | André Bairos Moura | |
| Timezone | Azores (UTC-1) | |
| - summer (DST) | Azores (UTC0) | |
| Postal zone | 9580-115 | |
| Area code & prefix | (+351) 292 XX XX XX | |
| Patron saint | Santa Bárbara | |
 Location of the civil parish of Santa Bárbara within the municipality of Vila do Porto
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| Website: http://www.jf-santabarbara.com/ | ||
Santa Bárbara (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈsɐ̃tɐ ˈbaɾbɐɾɐ]) is a civil parish in the municipality of Vila do Porto in the Portuguese autonomous region of Azores. The population in 2011 was 405, in an area of 15.27 km².
The settlement of this place originated sometime in the 16th century, since around 1584, the Bay of São Lourenço was identified as La Prainha, later referred to as the Villa da prainha. The settlers of Santo Espírito and Santa Bárbara originated from the rural areas of the Algarve and Baixo Alentejo, and can be verified from the topological influences in the rural homes and villages of the region.
As Gaspar Frutuoso noted: "The other [parish], of Santa Bárbara, is within the sierra, of the same band from Norte, a league and a half from Vila [do Porto]." Frutuoso went on to explain:
The inhabitant settlements of the region formed from the distribution of its settlers, who occupied various places, some separated by large distances. Many of these points were connected by dirt roads, that were not easy to travel throughout the year, and the area obtained the non-ephemeral Terras do Nordeste (Lands of the Northeast).
The description of the parish in the Álbum Açoriano (1903) refers to the parish as the poorest on the island, whose inhabitants are involved in the cultivation of wheat, potato and raising of cattle.
Gaspar Frutuoso noted that the history of these lands were influenced by its settlers and parishioners, including Father Ângelo Ângelo Soares da Câmara, who was responsible for the supporting the nascent communities, sacrificing his religious benefits to the improvished in the region. He was active in the construction of a potable water supply, including the fountain near the church, a new cemetery and other various improvements throughout his curate.
Owing to the hardships associated with a difficult physical relief and climate, many of the early poor suffered from a lack of foodstuffs. The region was dependent on the water mills to mill flour, and during the summer a lack of water meant that no milling occurred. Some innovative farmers constructed local mills, powered by oxen, horse or donkey that allowed them to mill grain or corn for their respective families or friends. The construction of windmills, particularly at Arrebentão permitted continuous milling, but dependent on wind.
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Wikipedia