Myths and stories are part of a people’s culture, contributing, to a certain extent, to the formation of the identity of that Society. Talking about São Nicolau without talking about its stories and myths is unthinkable. The island contains an immense wealth of stories kept and told by our grandparents and by wise people but which, over the years, have been getting lost from the collective memory of the People.
This new design of the “NÔS IDENTIDADE” project will portray in an original and creative way the history of all the islands of the archipelago through phrases, drawings and symbologies that will be made available in a package, t-shirt + digital leaflet + ecological bag.
The brand's concept had its origins in "portraying what there is best in Santo Antão" and in this new phase, valuing and preserving Cape Verde's historical legacy.
Note: The t-shirt about São Nicolau is subject to new editions, as it is impossible to tell the entire history of the island in a single symbology.
One of the most emblematic songs of St. Nicholas and Cape Verde, with much resonance abroad, is the morna Sodade by Armando Zeferino. According to tradition, he composed this song in the 50s of the 20th century, to bid farewell to a group of friends hired to work in the fields of São Tomé and Príncipe. Due to its melodic characteristics and the content of the lyrics, this morna has become a symbolic representation of this genre of Cape Verdean music. Every year, the so-called "Sodade Music Festival" is held in the town of Praia Branca by the municipality of Tarrafal.
It has an anchorage and good conditions for anchoring, where the scale of sailing ships maintained a connection with the neighboring islands. From 1889 to 1890 the "Barril Lighthouse" was built and then the house for the lodging of the lighthouse keeper. Thus, in 1891, Barril would be served by a lenticular lighthouse. Now deactivated, it became only an important landmark on the island.
A natural monument known as "Rotcha Scribida" (Written Rock) has embedded something similar to characters of an indecipherable message that time has not erased, but that the popular imagination has created several myths of. One of the tourist attractions of the island of St. Nicholas.
In 1935, Antonio A. Cardorio and Jose L. Rabaca have developed one of the most successful industries in Cabo Verde. The Sucla Cannery is an incomparable reference to the Cabo Verdean routes. The canned fish, seafood, and other delicacies of the ocean have traveled from the quiet island of S.Nicolau to all over the world to bring this small canned with charm and personality, which is the best thing the Cape Verdean ocean can offer. Quality, simplicity, and tradition sum up 100% of the Capeverdean brand! And their gourmet line with special canned tuna and seafood Made In Cabo Verde, would not be any different!
Integrated into the estate of the Fishing Museum is a photographic exhibition of the various stages of the whaling process for which Tarrafal was one of the main support points in Cape Verde. Among the museum pieces exposed outdoors, a cannon was used in the second phase of whale hunting in St. Nicholas, which was then mainly used for feeding.
The Fishing Museum is housed in the former residence of the owners of the Fish Cannery, inaugurated on July 19, 2015. This museum space aims to rescue the memory and history of fishing in St. Nicholas, relating also to whaling and, where possible, with other countries that also engaged in this activity.
At the exit of Tarrafal, walking towards the village of Praia Branca, is the "Concentration Camp" installed there in 1931, to receive political deportees sent from Portugal, at that time, to the island. After it was deactivated, its installations were removed to be installed in Tarrafal de Santiago, so it was abandoned, remaining today small ruins. Given its historical interest, there is a concern to rescue this slice of our past.
He was born on August 31, 1956, on the island of St. Nicholas. He is considered a man "gifted with genius", "visionary" and "futurist". Paulino Vieira surprised everyone when they realized that at the age of nine, he was at ease with the cavaquinho and the guitar, a knowledge acquired only by observing the students at the small music school his father kept at home. From St. Nicholas, he then moved to St. Vincent to attend the Salesian School, where he received the nickname "child prodigy". More than a musician, he was a thinker, a scholar, a researcher, a master, and a conductor. Paulino was the man behind the start of Cesária Évora's career, among so many other artists he took to the world's stages.
Born in 1805 - died in 1873 on the island of St. Nicholas He graduated in medicine in Paris and later became the first Health Delegate on his home island. A man of great moral standing and generosity, who rarely received money for the appointments he gave to his patients, he offered his noble mansion for the installation of the Seminary High School of Cape Verde, and retired to a very modest house in Cachaço, where he lived until his last years. In recognition of what he did for the people, the population of the island had his bust erected on a tall column. It is considered one of the most harmonious monuments on the island, located in the heart of Ribeira Brava, in the "Terreiro" square.
Born October 1, 1805 in Preguiça, São Nicolau - died October 6, 1883 in Lisbon, Portugal. She was the first female poet of Cape Verde and of all Lusophone countries, playwright, journalist, pianist and Portuguese composer. She was also the first woman in Portugal to found and run a newspaper and who there dared to show her real name and not a pseudonym as was the custom at the time. She collaborated in several periodicals such as Paquete do Tejo, and Revista Universal Lisbonense, having been director and owner of the periodicals: Assembleia Literária, Beneficência and Cruzada.
Born April 23rd 1907 in Caleijão, São Nicolau - died May 28th 1989, Portugal. A brilliant student, after his initial formation at the Seminary High School of São Nicolau, he studied in Mindelo, completing his high school education in Lisbon. With degrees in Romance Philology and Law, he returned to Cape Verde in 1930, where he taught as a teacher and then as Rector, playing a role in the formation of several generations that marked the history of Cape Verde. Baltasar Lopes captivated by the richness of his character, the coherence of his path and the important intellectual legacy he left to our culture. He was one of the founders of the magazine Claridade and of the "Movimento Claridoso". Besides fiction, essays, poetry, teaching, and example of civic and political militancy, he was always on the front line of all the battles for a worthy, free, and fairer Cape Verde. In 2007, a square was arranged to receive a statue in honour of him in Ribeira Brava.
Modje Manel Anton or Modje is a typical dish from the island of S.Nicolau that is almost a Cape Verdean dish that is made in large proportion to commemorate a special occasion or to eat a numerous family. Although goat meat is traditionally stewed, they have different ways to cook those dishes. Lamb meat is usually used in Modje, but some cookers prefer to use meat or chicken accompanied with manioc, potatoes, sweet potatoes, platan, and yam.
The Carnival of the island of St. Nicholas has special characteristics throughout Cape Verde and, for its authenticity, attracts much interest both at home and abroad. The island's Carnival involves spontaneous and organized groups, schools, kindergartens and informal groups, all preparing for the festivities during four days of true revelry. The carnival groups present themselves euphorically, in an excitement that infects the crowd, who cheerfully accompany the parade through the narrow streets of the town towards the Terreiro square. The carnival groups of São Nicolau have never accepted official contests for prizes. On the contrary, there is a healthy coexistence between the members of the various groups, to the point that there is a ritual that consists of exchanging mutual visits and exchanging offerings on the last night of the festivities, something unique in all of Cape Verde.
It takes place on the 13th of June. Besides the mass, sermon and profession, the set of ceremonies includes the profane part consisting of the lively cadenced drum roll, characteristic of June festivals, accompanied by the dance of "cola Sonjon." Complementarily, boat races, swimming contests and walks around the bay are organized.
Strategically positioned on top of Monte Videu, it was built in 1820, in an attempt to face the constant attacks of piracy that infested the Cape Verde seas. However, it was not very active in the defence of the island, because, in a short time, it was partially destroyed by the invaders and its cannons were dismantled.
Two artwork patterns were installed near the Royal Prince's Fort, one built in 1967, to commemorate the fifth centenary of Pedro Álvares Cabral's birth, and the second motif was implemented in the fort enclosure, to commemorate the 500 years of the passage near the eastern tip of São Nicolau island of the fleet commanded by Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500, on its way to India, having been pushed by the currents to Brazil.
It was built in 1939, with the purpose of regulating local administrative life. Established in Ribeira Brava, the City Hall housed several public services such as the Court, the Treasury and the Public Reception Office, the Notary's Office, the Civil Registry and the Post Office, having over time undergone several reconstruction and remodelling interventions.
Located in Caleijão, the building was intended to house the boarding students of the Seminary-High School during the summer vacations, because, at that time of the year, Ribeira Brava had a very hot climate. After its closure, the building was left vacant and later served as a prison for Germans during World War II. However, due to the famine caused by the lack of rain, in 1943, it was transformed into the Queen Saint Elizabeth Orphanage, which sheltered orphaned young girls. In ruins today, the old building is still proudly standing, with restoration work planned and readaptation to new functions.
It is located in one of the extremities of the Historic Center of Ribeira Brava. The building was originally an old colonial residence, owned by one of the great figures of the island, Dr Júlio José Dias, who made it available to dedicate it to new purposes. This institution was intended not only for the education of the clergy but also for the laity's high school and higher education. It was the first School of Higher Education on the West African coast, open to civil society that succeeded. It became a kind of beacon of culture in Cape Verde and was the great example of the successful implementation of education in the archipelago, laying the foundation for the construction of the "Cape Verdean intellectuality." On the seminary's benches have passed unavoidable figures who stood out in various fields
In the area of Fajã de Cima, there is a patch of dragon trees, considered one of the emblems of the natural flora of St. Nicholas, being native to the archipelagos that make up Macaronesia. The dragon tree is an endangered species, having found its habitat on this island since it spontaneously reproduces there. Referred to since the beginning of the occupation of the archipelago, this plant can survive for hundreds of years. Its sap is used to colour brandy and in medicine. It should be noted that St. Nicholas has the largest population of this species in the world, which is a reason for tourist attraction.
The oldest district of Ribeira Brava, taking into consideration its narrow streets and the type of buildings that flank them, in a set with medieval characteristics, which give an account of its antiquity. Deserving of a long visit to appreciate its peculiarities.
Monte Gordo, with 1,312 meters, is a round-shaped mountain located in the western part of the island of St. Nicholas and occupies an area of approximately 952 hectares. It is one of the most representative samples of humid mountain ecosystems that can be farmed in rainfed systems in Cape Verde. This characterization justified its elevation to the category of Natural Park. One of the most pleasant places for hiking, guided tours and scientific, cultural and recreational meetings, with infrastructure for overnight stays.
Scientifically called Phytolacca Dioica, it is a leafy tree that flanks the Assomada do Cachaço square and offers a delightful shade, where visitors to the festivities of Nossa Senhora do Monte da Cintinha used to settle to rest and socialize in well-supplied picnics. Today this species is practically on the verge of extinction.
