Ajuda Da Bretanha - History

History

There still exists some controversy relative to the origin of Bretanha in the local lexicon. The parish received its name from the original Bretanha of the older parish, and in accordance with popular tradition, it was adopted by the local Portuguese colonists to refer to the original settlers of the area. It is assumed that the area was originally inhabited between the end of the 15th Century and/or the beginning of the 16th Century. During this period the concentration of colonists from Great Britain, or Brittany, may have led to the local designation. Even today, the area that was the parish of Bretanha is populated by people whose ethnicity are mistaken for British nationals (skin, eye or hair colors primarily), and where the local dialect is punctuated by diction and intonations reminiscent of French. When the area of Ajuda was de-annexed to form the current administration the current name was adopted; a compound phrase which means: Ajuda from Bretanha.

The parochial church is dedicated to the invocation of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, and referenced in Gaspar Frutuoso's Saudades da Terra. Constructed at the end of the 18th Century (1770 specifically), it was constructed on the site of an older church constructed of straw, two centuries before. It is a church designed in the typical Baroque-style of the older generations, that includes a symmetrical front-facade, and bell tower; its interior consists of an ample sacristy, with a baptismal fountain constructed of pumice. A ancient image of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, holding the Christ Child, has survived many years, and is sheltered in this church.