São Martinho (Funchal)

São Martinho
Civil Parish
São Martinho Church and the hilltops overlooking the southern coast of Madeira
Official name: Freguesia de São Martinho
Name origin: Portuguese for Saint Martin
Country  Portugal
Region  Madeira
Island Madeira
Municipality Funchal
Center São Martinho
 - elevation 239 m (784 ft)
 - coordinates 32°38′34″N 16°56′22″W / 32.64278°N 16.93944°W / 32.64278; -16.93944Coordinates: 32°38′34″N 16°56′22″W / 32.64278°N 16.93944°W / 32.64278; -16.93944
Area 7.95 km2 (3 sq mi)
Population 26,482 (2011)
Density 3,331/km2 (8,627/sq mi)
Settlement fl. 1597
 - Parish 3 March 1579
 - Civil Parish 23 June 1916
LAU Junta Freguesia
 - location Caminho de São Martinho
President Junta João Pimenta (PPD-PSD)
President Assembleia José Valentim Caldeira (PPD-PSD)
Timezone WET (UTC0)
 - summer (DST) WEST (UTC+1)
Postal Zone 9000-273
Area Code & Prefix (+351) 291 XXX XXX
Patron Saint Saint Martin
Location of the parish seat of São Martinho in the municipality of Funchal, island of Madeira
Wikimedia Commons: São Martinho (Funchal)
Website: http://jf-saomartinho.pt

São Martinho (Portuguese: Saint Martin) is a civil parish in the municipality of Funchal, in the archipelago of Madeira. The population in 2011 was 26,482,[1] in an area of 7.95 km².[2]

History

The Church of São Martinho as seen from Pico dos Barcelo

During the island's early settlement, the area that includes the present parish was part of the much large , and later São Pedro, when it was finally deannexed in 1597. The lands immediately around the commercial centre of Funchal were quickly acquired and put into service for cultivation of subsistence crops. As with the other settlements in the Portuguese Empire, these settlements eventually formed from communities of living in the shadow of small chapels that dotted the landscape. The same was true for São Martinho: a small artesanal business and chapel constituted the first buildings in this region, owned by Afonso Anes, who was responsible for guiding the influencing development, becoming a parish on 3 March 1579. Much later a new church was a formal church constructed, by the 19th century.

The establishment of an Administrative Code in 1878, defined the creation of a level of government below the municipality, giving rise to the civil parish system that coincided with the older ecclesiastical parishes. On 23 June 1916, by decree law 621, the parish of São Martinho was created.

Geography

The parish covers the southwestern part of Funchal, located three to four kilometres west of Funchal and approximately three kilometres east of Câmara de Lobos. It consists of the localities Ajuda, Amparo, Areeiro, Casa Branca, Igreja, Lombada, Nazaré, Pico de São Martinho, Pico do Funcho, Pilar, Piornais, Poço Barral, Quebradas, Vargem, Virtudes and Vitória.

The Centro Cívico de São Martinho (São Martinho Civic Centre) with the Church of São Martinho in the background

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 6/24/2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.