Cidade Velha

In November 2018 we went to visit family in Sal, Cape Verde, while also checking out Santiago, the main island.

Be a superhero - don't steal power.

About a half hour's drive from Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, is Cidade Velha, the first settlement on Santiago and the former capital.

Fort Real do Sao Felipe and its cistern.

The area was chosen as it had a small river, or ribeira, that provided fresh water. This water was brought up the hill to the fort, where it was stored for use. Cidade Velha also generated income by selling freshwater to ships that stopped en route to the Americas (the archipelago was the last way point before completing the Atlantic crossing). The area was also apparently rich in fruit groves. In both cases most of the work would have been carried out by slaves brought to the island. The riverbed is now mostly dry, although it was much greener than the land above it.

Ribeira Grande, which Cidade Velha was first named after.

Forte Real do Sao Filipe was built with brick from Lisbon following a raid in 1585. It's an impressive viewpoint of the town below. Aside from the fortifications and cistern, there's not a great deal of historical artifacts.

Cidade Velha and the remains of its cathedral, the first in West Africa.

From the fort we walked down to the town itself, and visited the cathedral. The cathedral's construction began in 1556 and was finally finished in 1693 but was destroyed in a pirate raid in 1712.

Remains of the cathedral.

A little up the ribeira from town is another claim to ecumenical fame - the first documented church in the tropics - Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosario was built in 1495.

Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosario.

Finally, the 16th century Igreja e Convento de Sao Francisco remains in use today. It too was destroyed in 1712 but was restored with help from the Spanish government.

Ruins near the church and convent.

The refurbished church (and convent).

Cidade Velha made for a pleasant day trip. We had some good seafood at a restaurant down by the beach and enjoyed walking around the town. The alugueres/hiaces (minivans) public transport was also quite pleasant, especially given the relatively short distances compared to other places we've visited.

Cidade Velha.