Feteira

Feteira is a rural civil parish in the municipality of Angra do Heroísmo in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores. The population in 2011 was 1,239, in an area of 5.25km2.HistoryDuring the settlement of the island, the region of Feteiras was a frontier area, between various jurisdictions, including captaincies and municipalities. The first settlement was the ecclesiastical parish of Santa Ana da Porta Alegre, created by the first colonists to venture east of Pico da D. Joana, and later, when that settlement lost its influence, it was absorbed into the parish of Vila de São Sebastião. With the restructuring of parishes and municipalities, that resulted in a densification of settlements during the first half of the 16th century, the region was integrated into the parish of São Pedro da Ribeirinha, until it became an independent parish on 30 November 1906.During the captaincy period, delimited in 1474 between Angra and Praia, the southern coast was fixed at the old geodesic mark, that followed the eastern edge of the volcanic tailings in Feteira. That way, the limit coincided with the parish of Ribeirinha and the territory was part of Angra. Many of the references to Marco refers to the diverse points in the parish, that marked and demarcated the captaincy's boundaries. This situation changed in 1565, when experienced geographers through a 1565 accord of the Tribunal da Relação da Corte, advanced the boundary 1km to the west, to follow the actual Canada do Marco. The final demarkation was concluded on 8 July 1565, and put an end to quarrels that had been raging since 1525, over the limits of Altares. By consequence, the eastern edge of the parish, between Canada dos Clérigos and Canada do Marco, that included the Ponta Nova bridge, became the responsibility of the Captaincy of Praia, while the eastern frontier, from Canada do Marco until Ladeira Grande, became part of the captaincy of Angra. Yet, this decision was not peaceful, and required the intervention of the Crown, who established a geodesic mark along Canada do Marco.