Criação Velha

Coordinates: 38°30′35″N 28°31′18″W / 38.50972°N 28.52167°W / 38.50972; -28.52167

Criação Velha
Civil Parish (Freguesia)
The vineyard landscape of Criação Velha replaced cattle and the dairy industry, due to the quality of the Verdelho Wines produced from the island
Official name: Freguesia de Criação Velha
Name origin: criação velha, Portuguese compound word, literally old creation (criação means raising and velha means old)
Country	Portugal
Autonomous Region	Azores
Group	Central
Island	Pico
Municipality	Madalena
Localities	Alto da Cêrca, Canada de Beatriz, Canada de Pedro Nunes, Canada do Bacelo, Canada do Costa, Canada do Japão, Canada do Monte, João Lima, Lajidos, Rosário, Tapadas
Center	Criação Velha
- elevation	76 m (249 ft)
- coordinates	38°30′35″N 28°31′18″W / 38.50972°N 28.52167°W / 38.50972; -28.52167
Highest point	Pico Pequeno
- location	Ponta do Pico, Criação Velha, Madalena
- elevation	2,351 m (7,713 ft)
- coordinates	38°28′6″N 28°23′56″W / 38.46833°N 28.39889°W / 38.46833; -28.39889
Lowest point	Sea level
- location	Atlantic Ocean
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Length	11.45 km (7 mi), Northwest-Southeast
Width	2.36 km (1 mi), Southwest-Northeast
Area	16.43 km2 (6 sq mi)
- land	14.03 km2 (5 sq mi)
- urban	2.4 km2 (1 sq mi)
Population	818 (2001)
Density	49.79 / km2 (129 / sq mi)
LAU	Freguesia/Junta Freguesia
- location	Estrada Regional, Criação Velha, Madalena
- elevation	23 m (75 ft)
- coordinates	38°30′46″N 28°31′47″W / 38.51278°N 28.52972°W / 38.51278; -28.52972
Timezone	Azores (UTC-1)
- summer (DST)	Azores (UTC0)
ISO 3166-2 code	PT-
Postal Zone	9950-232 Criação Velha
Area Code & Prefix	(+351) 292 XXX-XXXX
Demonym	Piquense
Patron Saint	Nossa Senhora das Dores
Parish Address	Estrada Regional 9950-232 Criação Velha
Wikimedia Commons: Criação Velha

Criação Velha is a civil parish in the municipality of Madalena on the island of Pico in the Azores. Census records for the community in 2001, found about 818 inhabitants in residence in the parish.

History

Historical evidence, from the municipality of Madalena, relates that the name Criação Velha comes from an agricultural reference: it was an area where cattle (no distinction) were raised long ago. The term criação means "raising", and Velha is old, referring to historical records that the area was (and continues to be) important in this pursuit. Owing to the rich fertile lands the early settlers occupied most of their time with agriculture and wine production, slowly developing a commerce sector and industry later into its existence.

The church of Nossa Senhora das Dores was constructed in the late part of the 18th Century.

Geography

The parish is located in the western coast of the municipality, sandwiched between the parishes of Madalena and Candelária; a pie-shaped wedge that extends just to the base of Ponte do Pico to an area of about 2.75 kilometers at its maximum width. Unlike the other parishes with the municipality of Madalena, Criação Velha's borders does not extend to the top of Pico (its limit stops about 2 kilometers from the summit of the stratovolcano). The area is relatively hilly, sloping gradually from forested parcels into an area of semi-cultivatable land and then scrub pasture-lands. Most practical farming occurs around the central parish, since the forested lands are dense and impractical. The area is recognized for a series of grottos, with about 5 kilometers of extensions, carved from the dykes and subterranean lava fields along the island's history.