Relva
Relva | |
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Nossa Senhora dos Neves | |
Website | http://www.jfrelva.com |
Relva is a
History
The area of Relva was pristine forest and unoccupied grasslands, virgin fields, where the first explorers discovered forests of laurel,
As Gaspar Frutuoso wrote:
- "...the locality of Relva, obtained its name, because in the olden times there existed this good weed, and there it used to be called commonly Relva; and the residents of the city ordered send to this part, in that field, their cattle, because that they thought was good food for them, telling their children and shepherds that brought their bulls to Relva, now its courtyard."[3]
Eventually, farmers began to graze their herds in the region where they encountered lands with thick grasses: relva, the Portuguese word for grass, as the region became known, was used to describe this place, because this settlers found plenty of this boa erva (Portuguese: good weed).[4] The first settlers, where likely farmers and shepherds, integrally linked to the land, although no records identify the peoples.
The locality of Relva became more of a reality as settlers concentrated around the estates of Martim Vaz, a celebrated nobleman and local receiver (who collected the rents from the local
Geography
Relva is situated on the southern coast of São Miguel, surrounded by Arrifes, Covoada and Capelas (in the north) and Atlantic Ocean (along the south).[3]
Culture
The actual parochial church celebrates a festival in honour of Our Lady of the Snows on the first Sunday of August.[3]
References
Notes
Sources
- DRAC, ed. (2010). Festas das ilhas de São Miguel e Santa Maria 2010 [Festivals of the islands of São Miguel and Santa Maria 2010] (in Portuguese). Ponta Delgada, Azores: Direcção Regional das Comunidades. p. 16.