Feteira (Horta)

Feteira is a civil parish in the southern part of the municipality of Horta, on the island of Faial in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The population in 2011 was 1,899, in an area of 14.46 km². It occupies the southern foothills of the Cabeço Gordo, along the coast. The name Feteira is derived from the Portuguese word for "fern", and indicates a "location of ferns"; the name likely refers to the original colonists discovery of this area covered with ferns.HistoryThe early inhabitants colonized the area around Ribeira da Granja, along the coast near Lajinha and Ponta Furada. They built their first community along the coast, although on higher ground.The Church of Feteira, consecrated in honor of the Holy Spirit, is one of the older churches on the island. Lost to history, its date of construction is currently unknown, although the first references to the sanctuary refer to 1562. In that Year, the local residents were forced to pay higher taxes to the parish. On June 30, 1568, King D. Sebastião passed a provision in favor of People of Feteira who sought the Crown's intervention. Relating to its church, the historian Gaspar Frutuoso mentioned that it had three naves, supported by five columns, with arterial chapels on either side. It was a temple of good proportions (35 m in width) with a single bell-tower. The parish also had a nearby 15th century chapel dedicated to Saint Peter. In 1597, it was sacked and burned by English pirates. The chapel was a place of pilgrimage and popular religious festivities. Due to lack of attention and care, over time it was abandoned. Because of a history of piracy, there were small forts along the rugged coastline for the protection of the residents. They were part of an overall system of defenses around the island of Fayal, which suffered most of the time from lack of sufficient manpower and artillery. These fortified outposts decayed with time and the erosive action of the sea and tempests. Today, the ruins of these defensive positions have disappeared.