Quinta do Falcão

Quinta do Falcão is located in Almagreira, a parish known as the heart of Santa Maria Island, due to its centrality.
Quinta do Falcão is a building which is recognized, by the Regional Secretariat of Education and Culture of the Regional Government of the Azores, for its classification as Property of Public Interest, due to its historical, heritage, cultural and architectural value.
This area, or rather, the agglomeration of houses and land for cultivation which is called "Falcão", owes its name to its first owner, João Falcão de Sousa, 10th captain of the donee of Santa Maria island.
Gaspar Frutuoso recorded: "(...) João Falcão de Sousa, was sergeant-major and captain of Santa Maria Island, of D. João IV, in May 1654. João Falcão de Sousa governed the island in the minority of Brás Soares de Sousa, 7th Captain-donatory, since the date of nomination, until his death, which occurred on the 12th of December of 1657. He was the fortification’s superintendent of the island of Santa Maria, and, as such as, he endeavoured to complete the defence of the island, not only at Vila do Porto, but at every point where it was easy for an enemy to enter. João Falcão de Sousa voluntarily went to the siege of the castle of Terceira island [(1641-1642)] at the time of Restoration and built, together with his mother, the hermitage of Nossa Senhora da Boa Nova, in, Vila do Porto, near the houses of his residence, giving him patrimony by public deed of 6 April 1657. Already on November 16th, 1653, he had given patrimony to the chapel of Nossa Senhora da Graça, which he erected on his farm. He died unmarried, leaving numerous illegitimate descendants and having made his will on 25th April 1657, approved on 12th December of the same year. He was buried in the main chapel´s church of the convent of São Francisco".
In the middle of the 19th century, Maria Guilhermina da Boa Nova de Sousa Coutinho, born in 1770, Daughter of José Inácio de Sousa Coutinho, Captain-Mor of Santa Maria, widowed and without direct heirs, passed all her goods, around 1850, to her cousin in 3rd degree João Severino Gago. João Severino Gago da Câmara "Velho", married to Maria Guilhermina Falcão Gago da Câmara, had two sons: Victor Gago da Câmara and João Severino Gago da Câmara, the great-great-grandfather of the present owner of the Estate, Nuno da Câmara Cabral Cid Moreno.
João Severino, married to D. Adelina Bytton Bensaúde Gago da Câmara, who had only one son, Jacinto Gago da Câmara. A lawyer and owner of a land registry office in Coimbra, he married to Maria Eduarda Palmira d'Albuquerque Vilhena Soares de Albergaria. Jacinto Gago da Câmara died early with typhoid fever at the age of 32. He had two children: Maria Jerónima Soares de Albergaria Caldeira Gago da Câmara and Jacinto Soares de Albergaria Caldeira Gago da Câmara.
João Severino Gago da Câmara "Velho" had a large area of properties on the island of Santa Maria.
The Autumn and Winter were spent at the Boa Nova Manor House, in Vila do Porto, now the Municipal Library, the Spring at the Falcão Estate, and the Summer at the Jesus, Maria and José Estate at the S. Lourenço Bay. The blood-red colour characterizes all the buildings of the Family.
The manor house, with an annexed church, was acquired by the Town Council to house the Vila do Porto Public Library. The great repair and reconstruction that it underwent erased almost all traces of the Boa Nova Church, which had given its name to the street.
João Severino Gago da Câmara "Velho" was able to embark and disembark on the island without leaving what belongs to him. He embarked at the port of Anjos, which was his land, and disembarked at Praia, that also belonged to him. At São Lourenço João Severino had servants who were waiting for him at the gate of the Quinta de Jesus, Maria, and José blew a bugle to alert them when he was about to arrive, around summertime.
As Arsénio Chaves Puim says, Quinta do Falcão was known as the "Father's House", as a way of expressing the idea that it was the place that fed many people, not only because of the work but also because it supplied in a generous and altruistic way the hunger and needs of those people. Part of the offspring of the more than three hundred heads of cattle on that Quinta was offered, as well as all the foodstuffs.
João Cabral heard elder people say that Mr. João Severino Velho used to put twenty ox-carts on the road to help him with his agricultural work, which included the construction of houses for some of his workers.
The Church of Almagreira was built on an area donated by João Severino "Velho" and its construction was largely done by João Severino's men.
The rectangle entrance at the Quinta do Falcão was also used as a stage for "Teatros", where local people performed plays to entertain the population. By that time this place was open to everybody.
When João Severino Gago da Câmara, son of João Severino "Velho", died, on 5th December 1950 and his wife D. Adelina Bytton Bensaúde Gago da Câmara also died in 1958, the Solar da Boa-Nova, the Quinta de Jesus Maria e José, in S. Lourenço Bay, was inherited by Jacinto Gago da Câmara and Quinta do Falcão by his sister Maria Jerónima Gago da Câmara. When she passed away in 2009, this Estate was given to her grandson, Nuno da Câmara Cabral Cid Moreno, current owner, and great-great-grandson of João Severino Gago da Câmara.