The city of Angra do Heroísmo, the first to be created in the Azores, is marking its 489th anniversary with a solemn session this coming Monday, August 21, at 8 pm in the magnificent City Hall.
The session, organized by the Angra do Heroísmo City Council, will feature a speaker, Susana Goulart, a historian at the University of the Azores, who will address the topic “How is a Diocese made? The contribution of the city of Angra in the 16th century”.
The conference will be followed by a concert by FadoAlado at 9.30 pm in Praça Velha.
The celebrations will also include a concert by the Sociedade Filarmónica União Sebastianense, on Sunday night, August 20th, at 9.30 pm in Praça Velha, the city square in Angra, an ex-libris in the island of Terceira.


In 1534, by royal charter of August 21, King João III elevated the city of Angra to the category of city. That same year, the new city of Angra was made the seat of a bishopric by Pope Paul III through the papal bull Equumreputamus of November 3rd.

Angra do Heroísmo has many sister cities worldwide, the oldest being Tulare, here in California, the oldest sister-city program of a Portuguese city with an American city, established in 1966. Through the vision of Angra’s current Mayor, Professor Álamo Meneses, Angra is a significant partner with the University of the Azores and Fresno State in a month-long internship program with 8 students yearly, four from each academic institution.

This story is partially from the newspaper Diário Insular, José Lourenço, director.

Photographs from one of Portugal’s best creative photographers-António Araújo.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Cultures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Medial Alliance)  at California State University, Fresno.