Cidade Velha (Portuguese for old city) is a city located 15 km from Praia (Cape Verde's capital) on Santiago . It used to serve as the capital of Cape Verde. The name was changed to Cidade Velha to avoid confusion of another Ribeira Grande in another island. Cidade Velha is the oldest settlement in Cape Verde.
Geography
The area are covered with mountains to the north and forests with mainly grasslands. There is no road connected to the west.
History
The island was founded as Ribeira Grande (Portuguese for large valley) by António da Noli as the first settlement in Cape Verde in 1462. Cidade Velha was also the first European settlement in the tropics. Settlers were enlisted by the island and Madeira. In 1466, Cidade Velha received monopoly on slavery and became important. Slaves from Guinea-Bissau and from Sierra Leone were shipped from Cidade Velha to Brazil and the Caribbean. The large valley served as a prison.
In 1533 it was made the seat of the Roman Catholic West African diocese and it became a city in 1572. In 1585 and 1586, Sir Francis Drake twice attacked the city. In the 17th century, Ribeira Grande was important in carrying supplies from the port. The Portuguese slavery in 1712 was terminated by the Frenchman Jacques Cassart which he plundered and destroyed the city, leading to the relocation of the capital to Praia.
Today, Cidade Velha is a small fishing village and the main sources of agricultural production are sugar canes, coconuts and mangoes.
Sites of Interests
- Pelourinho - Located in a square praça and has the history of slavery in Ribeira Grande dating back to 1513. It was first raised in 1520
- Fort Real de São Filipe , constructed in 1590 was a fort which was built for attacking pirates and defending the Portuguese colony from French and theEnglish. The elevation is at 120 m above sea level.
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