Boaventura, São Vicente

Boaventura is a civil parish in the municipality of São Vicente in the Portuguese island of Madeira. The population in 2011 was 1,221, in an area of 25.30 km².HistoryBoaventura was a recent settlement, on the road between the southern part of Madeira and Curral das Freiras; the oldest settler was Pedro Gomes Galdo in this location, acquiring lands and establishing a chapel to São Cristóvão . From the Elucidário Madeirense, it is unclear as to the origins of the local toponymy, in addition to the variation that exists: Boaventura or Boa Ventura. It is assumed that the first form is the much older designation, more common and the standard illiteration. By conjecture, it has been assumed that the name originate from a place on the continent, from the original settlers, although there exists no place in continental Portugal that uses the same name. Alberto Artur Sarmento, in Freguesias da Madeira, believes that the name came from the first settler, whose name was likely Boaventura. Regardless, the fact is that the name appears just before the middle of the 16th century, preceding the establishment of the ecclesiastical parish.King John V of Portugal, by regal edict on 4 February 1733, authorized the creation of the ecclesiastical parish, while ignoring the its jurisdiction and attributions. It was not until 18 November 1836, António Alfredo de Santa Catarina Braga, governor of the bishop and vicar, issued a charter that formally elevated the clergy to ecclesiastical parish, removing it totally from the jursidaiction of the parish of Ponta Delgada. The seat of this parish was the Chapel of Santa Quitéria, constructed in the place of Serrão in 1731 .