Four Azores Islands

The tradition of building little chapels, called imperios, on Terceira Island dates back to the 16th century, when the island was an important stopover for ships traveling between Europe and the Americas.

The Imperios were originally built as a way for sailors to express their gratitude for safe passage and seek protection for future journeys. The Imperios are associated with the Cult of the Holy Spirit, a Catholic sub-culture in the Azores.

The Azores are the last stronghold of a Holy Spirit cult that is based in the teachings of a 12th-century Italian mystic, Gioacchino da Fiore. Da Fiore’s vision of an “Empire of the Holy Spirit” where universal love reigns and Church hierarchies fall redundant was declared heretical by the Catholic mainstream. But the early Portuguese settlers, in the remote Azores, were able to build on these beliefs and and their traditions continue to thrive. The church tried many times to suppress it, but the people resisted.

Every village and neighborhood has its own Brotherhood of the Divine Holy Spirit, 70 in total. Each has an império (empire), a chapel-like local landmark often with colourful decorations. They are used to keep ornate silver crowns, scepters, embroidered red flags and other symbols of the cult.

Once or twice a year, everyone meets at these little well-maintained chapels to honour the Holy Spirit, identified by a Dove and a Crown. The family leads a processsion of friends and family to the local church accompanied by a local band. At the church, a Mass is said, the priest blesses the crowns, and the people wear the crown and lead the procession back to the chapel for a traditional meal of Holy Spirit Soup, alcatra, meats and cabbage, and wine.

The brotherhoods, that,despite the name, includes men and women, and each year elect a symbolic “emperor” and a team of mordomos (stewards) to organize festivities and oversee charitable deeds – notably distribution of food in the form of bread, wine and beef.

Terceira is one of the few places in the world where this celebration to the Holy Spirit is held.

Terceira is a small island with lots of cattle. Dairy and beef herds graze year-round on its rich pastures and ranchers are among the biggest criadors (donors) to the brotherhoods. In the weeks after Easter, celebratory beef lunches are served by all the brotherhoods.

The first course of Sopa do Espírito Santo: a rich beef broth flavored with garlic, cinnamon and mint; and thickened with buttered bread, potatoes and white cabbage.

The second course is Terceira’s signature dish, Alcatra – a pot roast of shank and sirloin slow-cooked with onion, cloves and wine until the meet is fork tender and smells wonderful. It’s believed to date back to the 15th century, when early settlers came from central Portugal, where a similar dish is made using goat or mutton.

Then comes dessert - Arroz doce. This is a rice pudding that’s common around Portugal, but the Azores version is thick and creamy and flavored with lemon zest before it’s sprinkled with cinnamon in designs of crowns and doves.

Terceira also celebrates with unique form of bullfighting, a tourada à corda. This is another tradition dating back to the early days of settlement. Every village will hold at least one tourada between April and September.

Bulls, selected from herds roaming semi-wild in the high moorlands, are released on main street, restrained (but not much) by a long rope held by men dressed in broadbrimmed black hats, white smocks and grey pants. The angry livestock then proceeds to charge around the village aiming at daredevils waving capes, umbrellas or their bare hands.

The trick is to get as close as possible without being gored, butted or trampled. They frequently fail, as shown by spectacular bull-hits-man videos that look we have seen in stores. Our host, Fernando, told us that it is a great way for a young man to show how manly he is when wanting to impress a girlfriend!

In order to protect the spectators, the bulls always have the tip of their horns covered with something that provides some protection.

The bulls are not harmed. Instead, the best bulls return repeatedly to the fray, enjoying something like soccer-star status among aficionados.

At the entrance to the city of Angra, in the middle of a roundabout, there is a large monument dedicated to the tradition of Azorean bullfighting. The 11-meter monument was built by local sculptor and features three bronze bulls in various positions and erected in 2011.Read more