| Pousada
History:
The Fort of Santa Cruz, like
most others in Azores, was originally built for protection against Moorish
pirates. It was started in the year 1567, and a 2 per cent tax was placed
on imports and exports and on harbour dues for financing the work. Some
gunners and cannon were sent to the island to man the Fort but construction
went slowly owing to the lack of funds, and in 1572 an additional tax on
meat, olive oil, wine and salt was decreed to speed up its completion.
In 1580 the Spaniards occupied
Portugal; but the Azores remained loyal to Dom António, Prior de
Crato, and it was only after some difficulty (particularly in Terceira
where the inhabitants brought down semi-wild bulls against the invaders
who were forced to retire before returning with a stronger force) that
the Spanish subdued the Islands.
They attacked Faial with
a squadron of 12 galleys, 4 smaller vessels and 12 pinnacles, with a total
of 1500 men, landing 2 miles to the south of the town in order to be out
of range of the fort of Santa Cruz. They met with little resistance at
first but on nearing the town they came up against stiff opposition from
the Portuguese and French (400 French troops having been sent to reinforce
the small Portuguese garrison). The fighting lasted most of the day, and
the Portuguese and French took up positions on and around the present Observatory
Hill from witch the Spaniards finally dislodged them, the defenders running
to the Fort where they asked for terms. The French were allowed to leave
without arms or baggage, while most of the Portuguese escaped into hiding
in the country before the Spaniards took over the Fort. The Portuguese
Governor of the island was hanged and the town, as usual in those days,
given over to sack.
After this Spanish fleet
sailed off, leaving a garrison of 80 men to man the Fort, their maintenance
to be paid for by the town, of course. A few years later the local people
complained of the expense and offered to man the Fort themselves. This
offer was accepted by the Spanish Governor General in Terceira, and the
Spanish garrison was shipped from Faial, leaving behind their cannon and
arms.
In September 1589 the Earl
of Cumberland attacked Faial (both England and France at this time supporting
the deposed claimant to the throne of Portugal) and partially destroyed
the Fort, throwing the guns into the sea and demanding a ransom from the
town. A careful description of the Fort and town was made by one of Cumberland’s
captains: this appears in Hakluyt’s Voyages and shows that the walls and
gun emplacements of the Fort were the same then as now.
In 1597 the Fort (repaired
and now jointly manned by Spanish and Portuguese) was attacked and captured
by Sir Walter Raleigh who was second-in-command of a large English fleet
under the earl of Essex. Arriving the following day, Essex was furious
with Raleigh for having attacked the island without his admiral's orders.
(There is a verbal tradition that Essex and Raleigh were ready to start
a duel on the beach but were pacified in time). Essex gave orders for the
town to be sacked, and this resulted in the usual looting robbery and burning
of churches before his fleet sailed away.
When, in 1640, the Spaniards
were driven out of Portugal, theirs garrisons in the Azores left hurriedly,
and the fort was once more by Portuguese soldiers. Some years later a volunteer
militia was formed whose members were allowed to live in their own villages
and carry out their normal work, receiving a tiny allowance from the army.
Little of note accrued in the Fort for many years and the buildings deteriorated
for lack of funds. In 1775 Captain Cook called at Faial for a short visit
and reported: “On landing we realized why the Portuguese had not returned
our gun carriages were rotten and they were afraid to fire their guns …the
garrison was supposed to be 100 men but they had only 40, undisciplined
and without proper arms”. However, the Fort must have been given attention,
for in 1821 it was reported by an inspector to be in good repair.
On 26 September, 1814, during
the renewed hostilities between Great Britain and the United States of
America, sometimes known as the “Second War of Independence”, the American
privateer brig General Armstrong arrived at Horta, commanded by Samuel
Chester Reid. She had come to take on fresh water in the 24 hours allowed
to belligerent vessels.
A few hours latter a British
squadron arrived, under the command of Admiral Lloyd. The British brig
Carnation anchored less than a pistol shot from the Armstrong and at nightfall
sent four long-boats of armed men towards the privateer. Reid warned them
to keep away, but as they continued to approach he gave his men orders
to fire, killing two British and wounding seven, while two Americans were
also killed and some injured. The British long-boats then pulled away and
Reid moved his brig as close to the Fort as possible. The Civil Governor
of Faial sent message to Admiral Lloyd requesting him to refrain from hostilities,
as the Armstrong was in a neutral port to take on water; but Lloyd took
no notice, and shortly afterwards 12 British long-boats, carrying 300 men,
moved in towards the American ship. A full scale battle ensued, the Armstrong
beating off the British who could only attack from one side because the
American brig moved in very closed to the Fort. The British lost no less
than 120 men killed and wounded before pulling off.
Early next day the brig Carnation
moved in opened fire on the Armstrong witch promptly returned the fire,
so that the commander of the Carnation withdrew to confer with Admiral
Lloyd in the Plantagenet. The Armstrong was now in a bad way, and Reid
decided to abandon the stricken ship, taking ashore his dead and wounded
and such luggage as possible. Here the American Consul, Mr. Dabney, gave
him every assistance. Reid them gave orders to scuttle his ship, witch
was partially aground, and as this was being done, the Carnation returned,
boarded the wrecked vessel and set fire to it.
This gallant fight of the
General Armstrong was the last between British and American ships – resounding
to the glory Captain Reid and to the discredit of Admiral Lloyd. The guns
of the “Long Tom” were shipped to the Washington Naval Museum at the request
of American Government. The other seven guns of the Armstrong were left
in the Fort, though they are not identifiable at present.
On 3 September, 1825, during
the struggle between Constitutionalists and Absolutists, a military coup
put the Absolutist supporters of Dom Miguel in power in Faial. On 4 November
a Constitutionalist frigate disembarked a small group at landing four miles
out of town. This was done at nightfall and a number of local sympathizers
joined the party who marched into the town and overpowered the detachment
at the Fort. The Governor and the military commander took refuge out of
town but returned at dawn two days later with sufficient troops to re-take
the Fort, after a brief in which two of the “rebels” were killed and two
wounded while thirty were taken prisoner, the remainder managing to escape.
Such was the revolt to castelo: a small affair but an attempt to strike
a blow for democracy which finally triumphed in 1831 when the Count of
Villa-Flor (1) landed and the Absolutists fled or went into hiding. At
time of Villa-Flor’s arrival in the island British frigate Galatea was
in the harbour, commanded by Charles Napier (2) who fired a 21 – gun salute
to celebrate the event and gave dinner on board for the Count and senior
officers.
It's interesting to
note that Faial supplied more volunteers to the Constitutionalist cause
than any other of the Azorean islands – a fact remembered by the King in
1833 when Horta was raised to the category of City. Faial had also set
up a maritime arsenal. The city's coat of – arms, granted later, bears
in the scroll carries the stylized castle, commemorating the Fort, while
the carries the words “Very loyal city of Horta”.
The entrance to Santa Cruz
was rebuilt in 1847 and, very misleadingly, this date appears over the
gate of the hundred – year old Fort: it is now, alas, called a pousada
– a word hardly appropriate for a pleasant hotel with such an historic
past.
In 1969 opened as a “estalagem”
with only 10 rooms, was enlarged in the 70’s for 25 rooms. In 2004 reopened
with 2 suites , 1 more room and swimming pool, giving to the Pousada
a new improvement of service and facilities. |
