Church of São Pedro

About

The Church of São Pedro (Portuguese: Igreja Paroquial de Ponta Delgada/Igreja de São Pedro) is a 17th-century church located in the civil parish of Ponta Delgada in the municipality of Santa Cruz das Flores, in the Portuguese island of Flores, in the archipelago of the Azores.

The primitive temple was raised at the end of the 16th century, in what was then known as the Hermitage of Santa Ana, from the indications of the chronicler Gaspar Frutuoso. Today, this structure has disappeared.

By 1571, a parochial church existed in the parish, from the writings of friar Diogo das Chagas. Similar writings from Father António Cordeiro indicated that the parish supported little more than 150 homes.

But, by the 17th century, friar Agostinho de Montalverne indicated that this number had decreased to 150 homes, supporting a population of 650 inhabitants.

The work on rebuilding the parochial church began in 1763, in the land occupied by a small hermitage to the same invocation. The principal promoter of the construction was Father Francisco de Fraga e Almeida, a man of great fortune, old vicar and Ouvidor for the islands of Flores and Corvo. In 1764, he left behind a testament of 100$000 to the Confraria de São Pedro ( Brotherhood of St. Peter ) with an obligation to celebrate a mass for his soul, on the day of its inauguration. By 1774, work was preceding slowly, and the retables were only being completed at the time. There is no indication associated with its completion.

Between 1971 and 1975, restoration work on the original foundation and interiors were undertaken.