Santa Maria Maior (Freguesia de)

On the eastern side of the city of Funchal, constituting one of its four parishes, is the parish of Santa Maria Maior. It derives its name from the fact that its original parish church was larger than the chapel built by João Gonçalves Zarco at the site where the church of Santa Clara now stands, both dedicated to Our Lady of the Conception. In the past, it was also known as Conceição de Baixo and the other as Conceição de Cima, and it was also called Nossa Senhora do Calhau, as it was built not far from the beach. This last name was the one that endured among the people and is still preserved today. This parish became well known, and still is, by the name of the Socorro parish, a name specifically applied to the part of it between the parish church and the left bank of the João Gomes stream. This name originated from the image of Our Lady of the Socorro, venerated in the parish church and which was once an object of fervent worship by the inhabitants of Funchal. We have already mentioned the church of Nossa Senhora do Calhau elsewhere (volume II, page 451), and we will address the church of S. Tiago, where the parish seat was transferred in 1803, at the appropriate time in this work. We have provided sufficient information about the creation of this parish in the article Parishes (volume II, page 52), and we refer the reader there, being able to affirm that this was the first and is currently the oldest parish in this archipelago. With the construction of the magnificent temple of the Cathedral, the parish seat of Santa Maria Maior was transferred to the new and spacious church around 1508. Approximately fifty years later, due to the ever-increasing population, the parish was divided into two autonomous parishes by royal decree on November 18, 1557, with their respective seats in the Cathedral and in the church of Nossa Senhora do Calhau. After the Franciscan friars, it seems that Nuno Cão (see this name) was one of the first priests to serve in this parish, moving to the Cathedral in 1508 and being elevated to dean of the same Cathedral in 1514. When the parish was divided in 1537, the first vicar of Santa Maria Maior was the licensed Antonio Mourão, to whom an annual stipend of 20,000 réis, a barrel of wine, and two measures of wheat were established by royal decree on February 23, 1558. The curacy of this parish was created by royal decree on August 27, 1589, with an annual salary of 20,000 réis. This church had a collegiate church, created by royal decree on November 18, 1557, composed, in addition to the vicar and curate, of three more beneficiaries, who were later raised to six, and a treasurer, preacher, and organist. This parish has the chapels of Corpo Santo, Nossa Senhora do Bom Sucesso, Nossa Senhora do Faial, Nossa Senhora Mãe dos Homens, and others that have since disappeared, about which we will provide brief information. In the area of this parish are the former field of D. Carlos, now Almirante Reis, the fortress of São Tiago, the Campo da Barca or Miguel Bombarda, the Terrestrial Disinfection Post, the electric light factory, and other industrial establishments. The parish of Santa Maria Maior has a population of 7823 inhabitants (1921) and begins at the Ribeira de João Gomes. It is customary to consider the eastern half or right side of the Palheiro and Terça roads as its limits, with the western half or left side belonging to the parish of S. Gonçalo. However, it is worth noting that these limits do not match those indicated in the Alphabetical Map of the city streets, approved by the Civil Governor on December 15, 1863, which clearly states that the entire Palheiro street, from the Acciaioly or Faial Estate to the Bela de S. Tiago street, belongs to the parish of Santa Maria Maior, and that this parish extends to the Louros site, with the Olaria alley, now Lazareto, belonging to the parish of S. Gonçalo. According to the same Map, the area between the Bela de S. Tiago street and the building of Tomás Teodoro on Calçada do Socorro belongs to Santa Maria Maior on the north side and to São Gonçalo on the south side. Therefore, the southern part of the Forca square and the Lazareto road up to the point where the Louros site begins should be considered as part of the latter parish.

See Limits of the city, Parishes, Nossa Senhora do Calhau, Academica (Praça), Cão (Nuno), Ordem de Cristo, Carlos (Campo de D.) and Posto de Desinfeccão.