Nova Sintra

Archipelago

Vila Nova Sintra is the capital of the island of Brava in the Republic of Cape Verde.

Geography

The island's capital is located in the mountains Bravas at an altitude of about 500 m above sea level. It can be reached from the outside only of the harbor of the fishing village Furna. Both villages are about two blocks connected to each other, of which only one suitable for vehicle traffic is at a driving time of about a quarter of an hour. Due to the relatively high altitude and the fact that passing clouds stick to the massif of mountains frequently, the temperature in the urban area is usually somewhat lower than would be expected in the tropics. After the last official calculation of the number of inhabitants in the year 2005, there were 1,873 people in Vila Nova Sintra. That is about one -fifth of all inhabitants of the island of Brava.

The town of Vila Nova Sintra is dominated by the beautiful plants and exudes a quiet cosiness. Streets and squares mainly offer plenty of room for trees. The main streets are laid out in the majority as avenues. Narrow streets and alleys are limited to a few residential areas. The central square of the city is the Praça Eugénio Tavares, which is decorated with numerous flower beds. The wide avenues Vila Nova Sintra run from the four cardinal directions to this location. It is named after the famous Cape Verdean musicians Eugénio Tavares, who is a master of typical Cape Verde morna music. In the square there is a pavilion for musical performances.

History and naming

The city's name is a reference to the royal summer palace in Sintra Portugal represents the small town in the 18th and 19th centuries, especially in summer a popular destination where mainly de nobles and colonial officials were staying in the main Cape Verdean island of Santiago. The fact that the attractive townscape could hold up to the present time, due to the investment. In the past, many of the inhabitants had emigrated for economic reasons temporarily to America and have been used in returning to their home island of their money for the restoration and renovation of the beautiful old houses. The local government of the island now ensures that this historic image of the city is preserved in the future. So the new buildings on the island of Brava and more particularly in Vila Nova Sintra on appearance was arranged to fit her to the old houses of the colonial.

Attractions

• The former home of Eugénio Tavares is located at the end of the street Rua da Cultura, in the many well-preserved examples of Portuguese Kolonialarchitketur are seen. Today it is a museum, next to a monument was erected.
• Vila Nova Sintra has just under 2 000 inhabitants over at least six churches, of which the Protestant Igreja do Nazareno is oldest at the Praça Eugénio Tavares'die. The Catholic Church Sao Jao Baptista, just east of Praça located in a side street, was built around 1870 in a relatively unadorned style with two towers.
• At the eastern entrance to a viewpoint was built in the shape of a ship - the Santa Maria, with whom Columbus discovered America in 1492. From here you have a beautiful view over the neighboring village of Santa Bárbara to the coast and on the nearest island of Fogo. A similar monument in the shape of a ship can be seen in the small village of Campo Baixo in the south of the island of Brava.
• At various points of the city have become impressive specimens of this rare dragon tree grow (Dracaena draco, Portuguese: Dragoeiro ), eg the left of the school, on Rua da Cultura and opposite the bank branch near the Praça.

Environment

In the surroundings of Vila Nova Sintra worth visiting:

• Faja de Água
• Cova Rodela
• Nossa Senhora do Monte
• Santa Bárbara