Serra de Água (parish)

In the article Madeiras (volume II, page 323) we said that, after the great fire started by the first settlers, this island was quickly repopulated with tree species. Although that fire cost it the original, native abundance of its woodland, there can be no doubt that it was soon covered once more with extensive and plentiful forest vegetation. The timber trade and the export of wood were a logical consequence of the abundance of this luxuriant vegetation. Various mills and machines, built above all on the banks of the fastest-flowing streams to harness their motive power, went up in many parts of the island. These mechanical devices, certainly of very rudimentary construction, were given the name of water-powered sawmills (serras de água). Many places in Madeira still bear that name today, and in the parishes (freguesias) of Boaventura, Faial, Machico, Santana and Seixal there are inhabited localities (sítios) of some importance with the same name.

The parish of Serra de Água, which lies in the interior of the island, must have been, as can still be seen today, a centre of vast and rich woodland. Since it is crossed by a fast-flowing stream, it would have been relatively easy to set up a water-powered sawmill there, and the nearby landing place of Ribeira Brava (‘wild river’) invited the shipment of the timber. There was a locality of that name, which spread to the surrounding area and later to the parish. When the parish was created, that village (lugar, settlement rank below a town) was already known by the name of Serra de Água.

Much of this parish lies in a long, deep and narrow valley, encircled by towering, sheer mountains. It is surrounded by Pico da Cruz, Pico do Cedro, Pico Grande and other peaks, all of gigantic stature and of a wild and imposing magnificence.

The parish of Serra de Água was created by the royal decree (alvará régio) of 28 December 1676, and the diocesan prelate, Dom Friar António da Silva Teles, formally established it by an episcopal warrant (provisão) of 2 February 1678.

The seat of the new parish (freguesia) was set up in the small chapel of Our Lady of Help (Nossa Senhora da Ajuda), which already stood there; we do not know the year it was built or who founded it. It was considerably enlarged around 1699, after an order of the Council of the Treasury (Conselho da Fazenda) of 2 May 1698 directed that the works already begun be completed.

The royal decree of 5 March 1680 set the annual salary of the parish priest of the time, Father Manuel da Silva, at 12,000 réis (old Portuguese money of account; 1$000 = 1,000 réis, 1:000$000 = one conto = 1,000,000 réis), one pipa (wine cask and measure, c. 400–500 litres) of wine and one moio (dry measure of grain, 60 alqueires) of wheat. This stipend (côngrua) was confirmed, without any increase, by the royal decree of 5 October 1749.

Serra de Água belonged to the municipality (concelho) of Ponta do Sol (‘point of the sun’) from the latter’s creation in 1835, and today forms part of the municipality of Ribeira Brava, which was created in 1914 and installed on 2 August of the same year. The principal localities are: Achada dos Aparícios, Boqueirão, Caminho do Matias, Eira da Moura, Fajã Redonda, Fajã dos Vinháticos, Lage, Passal, Pedra, Penedo, Pereira, Pinheiro, Poiso, Rocha Alta, Terra Grande and Travessa.

Its population is 1580 inhabitants (1921).