Calheta de Nesquim


Calheta de Nesquim is a civil parish, along the southern coast of the municipality of Lajes do Pico, in the Portuguese Azores. The population in 2011 was 343, in an area of 13.81 km².

History

In the 16th Century, during tempestuous and dark night, a ship returning from Brazil, loaded with wood, shipwrecked along the southern coast of Pico. Three survived the shipwreck, and were guided to safety by the ship's dog, to a small bay. The dog was named "Nesquim", and the small bay became known as the "Calheta de Nesquim". As the story goes, Nesquim had originally survived the tempest by jumping to safety onto a natural dyke along the coast, called Morricão. It was this legendary story, that inspired the heraldry of the parish, which includes a dog, to represent Nesquim, the "discoverer" of the small bay.
By 1680, a religious parish of São Sebastião da Calheta had already existed for some time. The construction of the parochial church began on 8 July 1851, and concluded with its consecration on 7 September 1856; it was constructed on the ruins of the older chapel. It was the parish priest, Father António Silveira de Ávila, who had lived in Calheta de Nesquim for many years that had originally promoted the construction of the church.
It was Father Manuel Alvernaz, a citizen of Prainha do Norte, who help found the Cooperativa Progresso Calhetense a benevolent group dedicated to economic growth and assisting their members in the eastern municipality, and parish. It constructed a building to produce many of the local goods for export, including ceramics, pottery and local metal-works.
Around 1925 a small boat was built by one of its members, Manuel António Furtado Simas a resident of Santo Amaro, and sentimentally referred to as a Rainha das Lanchas, but christened Calheta in honor of the peoples of the Cooperative. In 1931, the little launch was sold to the municipality of Horta, and later incorporated into the fleet of Transmaçor, where it ended its days making regular scheduled trips between Madalena and Horta. Until then it was responsible for transporting people and goods between Pico, Faial, São Jorge and Terceira, under the command of João do José Goulart (and his mates João da Antonica, of Piedade and Francisco Goulart of Santa Cruz. Around 1927, Father Manuel Alvernaz became the confessor in Santa Cruz da Graciosa, and left the Cooperative, starting a slow decline that would finally see it close down in the following years.

Geography

Calheta de Nesquim is situated in the southwest coast of Pico, 18 kilometers from the municipal seat of Lajes do Pico, and connected to the parishes of Piedade and Ribeiras by the Regional E.R.1-1ª motorway.
Its heart is the town of the same name, and is covered in dense vegetation in the interior and rugged cliffs to along the coast, extending to smaller hamlets: Foros, Cruz da Calheta, Jogo da Bola, Fetais, Canada da Saúde, Canadas, Terreiro and Feteira. The old ramal was adapted for transit in 1942, and accesses the center of the village where the main church, the port and Polivalente, as well most commercial businesses are located.

Architecture

The civil parish has undertaken several projects to attract tourist dollars, in this mainly agriculture and fishing community. These include park areas in Morricão and Feteira, the remodeling of the antique windmill, and construction or expansion of existing natural pools at Poço das Mujas and Portinho da Feteira.

Civic

Being both a civil parish and religious community, the population celebrates a mixture of secular and religious celebrations annually. They include the religious festivals of: the Feast Day of São Sebastião, São Pedro Gonçalves, the festival of Nossa Senhora de Fátima, the Feast of Bom Jesus and semi-secular festival of São Martinho. In addition, the ubiquitous religious celebration of the Holy Spirit, occurs at Calheta de Nesquim's império and chapel during the Sunday and Monday of Pentecosts. In addition, the community also has a festival of band music supported by the local Filarmónica from 9–11 July, not to mention the Festa da Cabra e Cavala on August 7-8th.
The Sociedade Filarmónica Lira Fraternal Calhetense was formed in 1888, from a small group of Republicans, that included the teacher Manuel Pereira Gomes, who organized a group of fourteen musicians that played until around 1910. After a period of inactivity, a new band was established during the 1920s by a group of youth supported by Father Lourenço of Ribeirinha. In 1930 the Lira Fraternal Calhetense returned, this time under the directorship of Gregório Reis, until he left to form the União Musical Calhetense beginning a rivalry between the established bands in 1934. Some families stopped talking to each other, friends parted ways, as the distinction between the Musica Nova, of the União Musical, and the Musica Velha of the traditionalist Lira Fraternal Calhetense. This rivalry would remain bitter as the Lira Fraternal Calhetense was directed by João Ávial de Melo, and would persist until the 1940s when few musicians and financial difficulties would force the integration of both bands. Over the years many musicians and band directors would flow into and out of the Fraternal Calhetense, but none of the antagonisms from the mid-century would persist.
Annually, the Festa da Lira Fraternal Calhetense on the second weekend of July, is a consequence of the elevated stature of this institution to the community. It brings other musical groups from around the island, as well as abroad, for a couple days of concerts.

Notable citizens