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Santa Cruz da Graciosa
Meet Santa Cruz da Graciosa town, the capital of Graciosa Island, Azores, Portugal.
Santa Cruz da Graciosa
© Turismo Azores
Santa Cruz da Graciosa is an elegant white villa, capital of Graciosa island, Azores archipelago, Portugal. It is located in the northeast of the island, at the foot of an ancient volcano.
Here stand the most solemn buildings, as well as a church and a number of houses with iron balconies, spread harmoniously around a large grove with two ponds which were formerly used as a water reservoir for livestock and people.
The baroque church, Da Graciosa Ethnographic Museum and the Cultural Centre are full of surprises to discover the present and the past of this beautiful village.
The village can be discovered on foot, as its most interesting sites are located around the central square, known as Rossio.
It is worth taking a look at the town hall with its wrought iron balconies. A little further south there is an isolated bell tower, because the church and Franciscan convent that accompanied it were demolished in the twentieth century.
Rossio's neighbourhood is formed by streets full with mansions that recall the splendour of the island during the prosperous times of viticulture. Just a few steps to the east you will find two monumental churches: Igreja da Misericórdia and Igreja de Santa Cruz (18th and 16th century).
It is worth taking some time to visit the Graciosa Ethnographic Museum, located on rua Das Flores.
It is worth noting the Cultural Center, situated near the large Barão do Guadalupe, a modern auditorium that works also as theater and cinema. At the village entrance you will see the Cruz de São Sebastião from Guimarães, 16th century.
A little further from the town centre, the mount of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda mountain works as a natural lookout, providing a nice panoramic view over Santa Cruz and the north of the island.
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