History - Azores

Historically, the Portuguese came on to the scene in 1427 with the discovery of the islands Santa Maria and São Miguel. Due to its strategic geographic position, the archipelago was to become an important waypoint on the main routes between Europe, the Orient and America during 16th and 17th centuries. This period saw major naval battles around the Azores, while the islands were set upon by pirates. Subsequent centuries saw the development of the islands, introduction of a new agriculture and the development of cattle breeding and fishing. Having constituted an integral part of Portugal from the very outset, today the Azores are an autonomous region endowed with its own parliament and government.

History - Flores

The discovery date of the islands of Flores and Corvo is a controversial issue, although it is known that it took place after that of the other seven islands of the Azores. It is said that Flores was sighted in 1452 by Diogo de Teive and his son. Initially called São Tomás or Santa Iria, its name was soon changed to Flores, literally, "Flowers" on account of the abundance of wild flowers that covered the whole island, the seeds of which were possibly brought from Florida, in North America, on the feathers of migratory birds. The initial settlement is attributed to the Fleming, Wilhelm van der Haegen (Guilherme da Silveira, as he was known to the Portuguese), who left it after a few years and settled on the island of São Jorge. This was no doubt due to the remoteness of Flores and the lack of regular shipping connections that would allow the export to Flanders of the dye-yielding plant called woad. He was followed in the 16th century by farmers from various regions of Continental Portugal who began to plough fields and produce wheat, barley, maize, vegetables, archil (a lichen used in dyeing) and woad. During that period the settlements of Lajes and Santa Cruz received town charters. Far removed from the other islands of the archipelago, with few export products, the island of Flores was almost completely isolated for centuries, a situation broken by rare visits of ships that took on water and bought provisions there. Also cargo boats from Faial and Terceira which came to fetch sperm whale oil, honey, cedar wood, butter, lemons, oranges, smoked meats and, at times, ceramics from the local potteries and, in exchange, left woollen and linen clothes and other goods. This isolation did not prevent the island from the sacking by an English fleet in 1587, nor did it prevent other pirates from attacking and pillaging it, including one who, according to tradition, took refuge in the Enxaréus grotto.American whaling ships frequented the waters of the Azores from the middle of the 18th century to the end of the 19th. They hunted the sperm whale and recruited sailors and harpooners from among the population. Many of these recruits later became the captains of sailing vessels, outstanding of which was the "Wanderer" which sailed until 1924 and was considered the most beautiful American whaler. The development of agriculture and stockbreeding, improvement of the port facilities, construction of an airport and the presence of a French satellite tracking station, are recent events that have opened new horizons for progress on the island.