History
The name Arrifes has its origin in the Arab word Al-rife, which means reef, or coastal outcropping/rocks. It is unclear whether this name was attributed to the area around Relva originally (and expanded) or was given for other reasons.
Constructed in the second-half of the 18th-Century, the Church of Nossa Senhora da Saúde, incorporated the older chapel of the same name, originally initiated by D. Margarida Bettencourt da Câmara in her last will and testament on July 12, 1627. In 1764 and 1765 it was subject to remodelling that expanded the structure to the current dimensions. Designed in the Baroque-style of the post-modern period, this structure consists of a single tower and white-facade typical of Azorean churches, while the interior altar and sacristy have ornate gold-leaf cornices and niches.
In the area of Piedade, another chapel was constructed in the name of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, and ordered constructed by João Dias Caridade at the beginning of the 16th-Century, and subject to major renovations in 1791.
Further, the Church of Nossa Senhora dos Milgares, constructed after 1816, by the community and completed in 1831. It was this church that was responsible for elevating the community to the status of parish on April 3, 1959. Romarias and associated festivals are celebrated from this church on the first Sunday after August 15.
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