Monte Brasil

Monte Brasil
Volcano (Vulcão)
A view of Monte Brasil and the city of Angra do Heroísmo along the southern coast of Terceira
Named for: (in Portuguese) Brasil, the political territory Brazil which was a dependency of Portugal until 1822
Country	Portugal
Autonomous region	Azores
Islands	Central Group
Location	Azores Platform, Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Atlantic Ocean
Civil parish	Sé
Municipality	Angra do Heroísmo
Coordinates	38°38′42″N 27°13′30″W / 38.645°N 27.225°W / 38.645; -27.225Coordinates: 38°38′42″N 27°13′30″W / 38.645°N 27.225°W / 38.645; -27.225
Highest point	Pico das Cruzinhas
- location	Monte Brasil, Sé, Angra do Heroísmo
- elevation	205 m (673 ft)
Lowest point	Sea level
- location	Atlantic Ocean, Sé, Angra do Heroísmo
- elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Area	3 km2 (1 sq mi)
Biome	Marine
Geology	Basalt
Orogeny	Volcanism
Period	Holocene
Protection	[TR20] Área Marinha Protegida de Gestão de Recursos do Monte Brasil
Listing	Decreto Legislativo Regional nº.11/2011/A (20 April 2011)
Location of the island of Terceira in the archipelago of the Azores
Location of the peninsula of Monte Brasil off the coast of Terceira

Monte Brasil is the remnants of a tuff volcano (and peninsula) connecting the south coast of Terceira in the central Azores, overlooking the city of Angra do Heroísmo. Monte Brasil is flanked by two bays: the Bay of Angra (named for the city) to its east, and the Bay of Fanal to its west, and was used as a defensive point during the history of Angra, resulting in the construction of various forts and redoubts, including the Fortress of São João Baptista overlooking the city.

The formation of Monte Brasil was the result of various eruptions of the Guilherme Moniz volcano, a large central volcano on the island of Terceira, this difficult to identify owing to subsequent eruptions and lava flows. Although this structure is eroded, there is considerable evidence of its influence, including, specifically:

An undated human presence on the mount includes artificial cavities located along the hill to provide shelter, but with little vestiges of formal use. Although those on Pico do Zimbreiro are vacant, similar spaces on the roadways to the caldera and Caminho das Belas-donas have bunks along the interior walls. Another grotto on the roadway that skirts the Fort of São Diogo indicates its use as place to collect and store water, including channels, taps and reservoir.

Some specialists have speculated that these cavities have been created by ancient cultures, e.g. Phoenicians. These chambers are not suitable for habitation but could be used as simple structures for Phoenician shrines. Such discovery would testify the presence of ancient cultures in Azores long before Portuguese. There are offered also other explanations, e.g. chambers were created in medieval times for the needs of military or agriculture.

At the end of the 16th century (around 1590), Monte Brasil was occupied by an estate/farm owned by Manuel do Rego da Silveira and several fortifications, including the Forts of São Benedito and Santo António (towards Angra) and the Fort of São Diogo (in the direction of the Bay of Fanal). The existence of reservoir and staircase, in addition to springs already identified in the 16th century cartography, reinforces the importance of Monte Brasil during this time.

From this point forward many of the rock deposits (boulders/rock) from the volcano's submarine eruptions were used in the construction of the forts and defences along the coast of the islands. Writing in his epic tome Saudades da Terra, the humanist theologian Gaspar Frutuoso, while describing Angra: