Architectural Heritage
- Architecture
The main architectural heritage of Cape Verde is found in Cidade Velha, the old city of Ribeira Grande de Santiago, which was the first Portuguese city built in Africa.
Now classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO, the old quarter houses many monuments of great historical significance, although few of them are still intact. Nossa Senhora do Rosário Church, built at the foot of the west face of the bank, in the Manueline style, is on a level with the Pelourinho (pillory, from 1520), at the heart of the area next to the beach. Built in 1495, it is the best preserved example from the 15th Century. Nothing remains of the Misericórdia Church, the hospital of the same name, the Casa da Câmara (government house) and the Prison, although the parish of Nossa Senhora da Conceição is known to have been founded in 1562, which indicates that the first church was build around this time. The remains from the 16th Century include the ruins of S. Francisco Convent, which are now in a stable condition, the north section of Nossa Senhora do Rosário Church, further inland in Ribeira, and what seems to be an old watering place for ships. Nothing remains of the platform of S. Brás, where the Jesuits settled at the start of the 17th Century. On the opposite side, the quarter of S. Sebastião boasts the ruins of the Cathedral, which is currently being renovated, and which took over a century to build between 1555 and 1693. Nothing remains of the nearby Episcopal Mansion, with its library and archive - the Tombo Velho, (which was burnt down “not leaving a single prayer book to read the mass”, as Bishop Francisco de Santo Agostinho wrote in 1712), or of the Prison. Indeed, Ribeira Grande, which became a city in 1533, would pay dearly for its dazzling success, and would suffer constant attacks and pillaging by English, French and Dutch pirates, at a time when their own countries of origin supported them in their theft and destruction. In an attempt to stem the accelerating decline of the city, after a devastating attack by the lamentably celebrated Francis Drake in 1585, the Fortaleza Real de S. Filipe (royal fortress) was built from 1593 on the plateau which dominates the episcopal seat. However the destiny of the city was already mapped out. Regularly destroyed and depopulated, Ribeira Grande could not resist the further pirate attacks, which culminated with an attack from the Frenchman Jacques Cassard in May 1712. He burnt everything down after stealing all he could find, a treasure valued at three million pound sterling. In December 1769 the capital would be transferred to Praia de Santa Maria, and Ribeira Grande, sadly, was reduced to the level of a ruined outcast of a village, waiting to regain its memory.
Praia, which became a city in 1858, would be the heir to Ribeira Grande, but not in terms of its monuments, perhaps traumatised by the destruction suffered by its predecessor. Nonetheless, as it developed on the Plateau, the first of the “achadas” (small plateaus), where it now extends around the Afonso de Albuquerque Square, the customary buildings found in capital cities were being established - the Government Palace (now the Presidência da República), the Câmara Municipal (town hall), the Sé (episcopal seat) and the barracks. The plateau can now be seen as a collection of architectural features to be preserved, which came to include the public offices of the state, the Palace of Justice, various Ministries, the National press, Adriano Moreira College (now Domingos Ramos), the hospital, the municipal market, the Church of the Nazarene, the cinema, the Central School, the Bank of Cape Verde, the Ethnographic Museum and various other noble buildings, many of which are currently occupied by banks and businesses, as well as some small hotels. The monuments to the discoverer Diogo Gomes, in front of the Presidential Palace, and to Amílcar Cabral, the father of Cape Verdean independence, are of great symbolism representing the course of history and the social and political construction of Cape Verde.
The townhouses in Fogo are buildings of historic value, both for their architecture with broad verandas on the upper floors, and for their social significance. Almost the entire city of S. Filipe is a fine example of secular architecture. The highlights, apart from some townhouses, are buildings such as the Câmara Municipal (town hall), the parochial church, as well as the bandstand in the square and some statues.
In S. Nicolau, what remains from the golden age of the seminary school is the building that housed it from 1866 to 1931, in Ribeira Brava, or Stanxa, as it is referred to on the island. The building then later hosted a group of military who had left the metropolis, as well as the parochial church and the bust of the patron, Dr. Júlio José Dias.The Forte do Príncipe Real (fort of the royal prince) with the Padrão das Descobertas (monument to discoveries) and the Capela de Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes (chapel) dominate the port. In Caleijão, the old Irmãs do Amor de Deus Orphanage stands in ruins waiting to be restored so it can house the Museum of Sacred Art.
In Santo Antão, Ribeira Grande (heir to the name of the first capital of Cape Verde) and Ponta do Sol, conserve the perfumed charm of the colonial architecture of the time when they were built, more so than Porto Novo. There area few old buildings along the central road of Santo Antão, jammed against the mountain in a beautiful and welcoming architectural setting, chiefly the Casa Marcal. While in Ponta do Sol the Câmara Municipal (town hall), the hospital and the church, near the spacious square, fit together harmoniously, inspiring the morna that sings “there can’t be anyplace more beautiful!” A majestic statue of the saint was built on top of the hill in Santo António das Pombas, and it has become a reference not just for locals, but for everyone who visits the Ribeira do Paúl. The Synagogue stands half way from the town above the sea, and is a sign of the strong presence of Jews on the island. It is currently in ruins, and is waiting to be developed into a tourist facility.
Although it may have been populated and urbanised later, S. Vicente has fine buildings in the city of Mindelo, notably the Fortinho do Rei, from 1852; Gil Eanes School, from the second quarter of the 20th Century, also housed the post office for a while; the Câmara Municipal (town hall) in the colonial style; the Capitania (Captain’s office, a replica of the Tower of Belém in Lisbon); the Municipal Market; the Banco Nacional Ultramarino (a bank that led to the BCA), the Palácio do Governo (the Palace of Government, now the Presidential Palace), the parochial church, the Hotel Porto Grande, as well as the Kiosk and the Praça Nova Bandstand and some public statues.
The island of Brava is a model of architectural harmony, with houses systematically finished in white and grey, and even the boundary walls are decorated with quarried stone. A particular highlight is the sober elegance of Nova Sintra, dominated by the statue of the poet, Eugénio Tavares, who looks towards the bandstand about which Pedro Figueira wrote:
“There in the sidereal confines
Shine singular stars
But on Earth is one that brighter shines:
Forever: EUGÉNIO TAVARES”.
The house where he lived, high up in the city, is now the Eugénio Tavares House and Museum.
The town of Maio, also known as Porto Inglês, is dominated by the castle, built at the same time as the Fort of S. Filipe, in Ribeira Grande, which was watched over by the parochial church, an icon of the island above the central square.
In Boa Vista, Sal Rei has a notable range of architecture from the 17th and 18th Centuries, the time when salt attracted an important international fleet, and traders and even politicians settled here in grand houses that were built two or three storeys high. The house of Benoliel de Carvalho, dating from this period, currently stands in ruins in the square. He also had a residence and a chapel built further north, in N. Senhora de Fátima Beach, of which some walls remain. Also dating from this period (1818) Forte Duque de Bragança was constructed on the facing islet to prevent attacks such as those launched in 1815 and 1817 against Sal Rei by English and South American ships.
The main architectural heritage of Cape Verde is found in Cidade Velha, the old city of Ribeira Grande de Santiago, which was the first Portuguese city built in Africa.
Now classified as a world heritage site by UNESCO, the old quarter houses many monuments of great historical significance, although few of them are still intact. Nossa Senhora do Rosário Church, built at the foot of the west face of the bank, in the Manueline style, is on a level with the Pelourinho (pillory, from 1520), at the heart of the area next to the beach. Built in 1495, it is the best preserved example from the 15th Century. Nothing remains of the Misericórdia Church, the hospital of the same name, the Casa da Câmara (government house) and the Prison, although the parish of Nossa Senhora da Conceição is known to have been founded in 1562, which indicates that the first church was build around this time. The remains from the 16th Century include the ruins of S. Francisco Convent, which are now in a stable condition, the north section of Nossa Senhora do Rosário Church, further inland in Ribeira, and what seems to be an old watering place for ships. Nothing remains of the platform of S. Brás, where the Jesuits settled at the start of the 17th Century. On the opposite side, the quarter of S. Sebastião boasts the ruins of the Cathedral, which is currently being renovated, and which took over a century to build between 1555 and 1693. Nothing remains of the nearby Episcopal Mansion, with its library and archive - the Tombo Velho, (which was burnt down “not leaving a single prayer book to read the mass”, as Bishop Francisco de Santo Agostinho wrote in 1712), or of the Prison. Indeed, Ribeira Grande, which became a city in 1533, would pay dearly for its dazzling success, and would suffer constant attacks and pillaging by English, French and Dutch pirates, at a time when their own countries of origin supported them in their theft and destruction. In an attempt to stem the accelerating decline of the city, after a devastating attack by the lamentably celebrated Francis Drake in 1585, the Fortaleza Real de S. Filipe (royal fortress) was built from 1593 on the plateau which dominates the episcopal seat. However the destiny of the city was already mapped out. Regularly destroyed and depopulated, Ribeira Grande could not resist the further pirate attacks, which culminated with an attack from the Frenchman Jacques Cassard in May 1712. He burnt everything down after stealing all he could find, a treasure valued at three million pound sterling. In December 1769 the capital would be transferred to Praia de Santa Maria, and Ribeira Grande, sadly, was reduced to the level of a ruined outcast of a village, waiting to regain its memory.
Praia, which became a city in 1858, would be the heir to Ribeira Grande, but not in terms of its monuments, perhaps traumatised by the destruction suffered by its predecessor. Nonetheless, as it developed on the Plateau, the first of the “achadas” (small plateaus), where it now extends around the Afonso de Albuquerque Square, the customary buildings found in capital cities were being established - the Government Palace (now the Presidência da República), the Câmara Municipal (town hall), the Sé (episcopal seat) and the barracks. The plateau can now be seen as a collection of architectural features to be preserved, which came to include the public offices of the state, the Palace of Justice, various Ministries, the National press, Adriano Moreira College (now Domingos Ramos), the hospital, the municipal market, the Church of the Nazarene, the cinema, the Central School, the Bank of Cape Verde, the Ethnographic Museum and various other noble buildings, many of which are currently occupied by banks and businesses, as well as some small hotels. The monuments to the discoverer Diogo Gomes, in front of the Presidential Palace, and to Amílcar Cabral, the father of Cape Verdean independence, are of great symbolism representing the course of history and the social and political construction of Cape Verde.
The townhouses in Fogo are buildings of historic value, both for their architecture with broad verandas on the upper floors, and for their social significance. Almost the entire city of S. Filipe is a fine example of secular architecture. The highlights, apart from some townhouses, are buildings such as the Câmara Municipal (town hall), the parochial church, as well as the bandstand in the square and some statues.
In S. Nicolau, what remains from the golden age of the seminary school is the building that housed it from 1866 to 1931, in Ribeira Brava, or Stanxa, as it is referred to on the island. The building then later hosted a group of military who had left the metropolis, as well as the parochial church and the bust of the patron, Dr. Júlio José Dias.The Forte do Príncipe Real (fort of the royal prince) with the Padrão das Descobertas (monument to discoveries) and the Capela de Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes (chapel) dominate the port. In Caleijão, the old Irmãs do Amor de Deus Orphanage stands in ruins waiting to be restored so it can house the Museum of Sacred Art.
In Santo Antão, Ribeira Grande (heir to the name of the first capital of Cape Verde) and Ponta do Sol, conserve the perfumed charm of the colonial architecture of the time when they were built, more so than Porto Novo. There area few old buildings along the central road of Santo Antão, jammed against the mountain in a beautiful and welcoming architectural setting, chiefly the Casa Marcal. While in Ponta do Sol the Câmara Municipal (town hall), the hospital and the church, near the spacious square, fit together harmoniously, inspiring the morna that sings “there can’t be anyplace more beautiful!” A majestic statue of the saint was built on top of the hill in Santo António das Pombas, and it has become a reference not just for locals, but for everyone who visits the Ribeira do Paúl. The Synagogue stands half way from the town above the sea, and is a sign of the strong presence of Jews on the island. It is currently in ruins, and is waiting to be developed into a tourist facility.
Although it may have been populated and urbanised later, S. Vicente has fine buildings in the city of Mindelo, notably the Fortinho do Rei, from 1852; Gil Eanes School, from the second quarter of the 20th Century, also housed the post office for a while; the Câmara Municipal (town hall) in the colonial style; the Capitania (Captain’s office, a replica of the Tower of Belém in Lisbon); the Municipal Market; the Banco Nacional Ultramarino (a bank that led to the BCA), the Palácio do Governo (the Palace of Government, now the Presidential Palace), the parochial church, the Hotel Porto Grande, as well as the Kiosk and the Praça Nova Bandstand and some public statues.
The island of Brava is a model of architectural harmony, with houses systematically finished in white and grey, and even the boundary walls are decorated with quarried stone. A particular highlight is the sober elegance of Nova Sintra, dominated by the statue of the poet, Eugénio Tavares, who looks towards the bandstand about which Pedro Figueira wrote:
“There in the sidereal confines
Shine singular stars
But on Earth is one that brighter shines:
Forever: EUGÉNIO TAVARES”.
The house where he lived, high up in the city, is now the Eugénio Tavares House and Museum.
The town of Maio, also known as Porto Inglês, is dominated by the castle, built at the same time as the Fort of S. Filipe, in Ribeira Grande, which was watched over by the parochial church, an icon of the island above the central square.
In Boa Vista, Sal Rei has a notable range of architecture from the 17th and 18th Centuries, the time when salt attracted an important international fleet, and traders and even politicians settled here in grand houses that were built two or three storeys high. The house of Benoliel de Carvalho, dating from this period, currently stands in ruins in the square. He also had a residence and a chapel built further north, in N. Senhora de Fátima Beach, of which some walls remain. Also dating from this period (1818) Forte Duque de Bragança was constructed on the facing islet to prevent attacks such as those launched in 1815 and 1817 against Sal Rei by English and South American ships.
Armando Ferreira
