Vila do Corvo () is the smallest municipality in the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores, constituting the island of Corvo in its entirety. With a population of 430 in 2011, it is the least populated of the Portuguese municipalities, and the only Portuguese municipality, by law, without a civil parish (freguesia, the smallest administrative unit in Portugal). Its area is .

Vila do Corvo has at times been incorrectly referred to as Vila Nova do Corvo. The village, the unique agglomeration on the island of Corvo, is constructed of small homes located along narrow roadways and alleys rising along the hills of the southern one-third of the island. The coastal area of the village is dominated by the Corvo Aerodrome and ports linking the community to the outside world.

History

235px|left|thumb|The island of Corvo as seen through the mists across the channel on Flores

thumb|235px|left|One of the gentler slopes along the eastern coast of the island, around Calçadas

thumb|235px|left|Windmill built in the 19th century

thumb|235px|left|Fabrica da Manteiga Cooperativa Agrícola Corvense, constructed in the early part of the 20th century

Despite the discovery of Carthaginian coins and the possible presence of a pre-Portuguese statue on Corvo, the current historical consensus is that the history of the Azores begins with non-official exploration during the period of the late 13th century in maps, such as the Genoese Medici Atlas (1351). Although it did not specify an island of Corvo, the Medici Atlas did refer to an Insula Corvi Marini ('Island of the Marine Crow'), in a seven-island archipelago. A later Mapa Catalão ('Catalan Map'), from Spain, referred to two islands of Corvo and Flores in 1375.

During Portuguese 'official history' the Western Group was discovered during the navigator Diogo de Teive and his son's (João de Teive) 1452 return from the Banks of Newfoundland, after his second voyage of exploration. The Portuguese Court began to refer to the new Ilhas das Flores ('Islands of Flowers'), identifying Corvo as the Ilha de Santa Iria ('Island of Saint Irene'), but other nautical charts continued to refer to this island as the Ilhéu das Flores ('Islet or Island of Flowers'), Ilha da Estátua ('Island of the Statue'), Ilha do Farol ('Island of the Lighthouse') or Ilha de São Tomás ('Island of Saint Thomas'). The island was placed under the control of Diogo Teive, who became the first Captain-Donatário. Following these successive failed attempts to settle the land, Gonçalo de Sousa (second Captain-Donatário of the islands of Corvo and Flores) was authorized to send slaves (likely from the island of Santo Antão in the Cape Verde archipelago) to Flores and Corvo as farmers and cattlemen (November 12, 1548). of wheat), as well as the elimination of the annual payment of 80,000 réis. The Crown would then assume the indemnity of the Donatário. The tribute was completely abolished by 1835.

On June 20, 1832, the Regent, Peter IV of Portugal, elevated the settlement of Corvo to the status of village and municipal seat.

Human geography

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The Vila do Corvo is implanted along the maritime coast of the island of Corvo, and represents the only inhabited settlement on the island.

Architecture

The centre of Vila do Corvo, situated in the eastern part of the Rua da Matriz and characterized by a group of narrow roads, alleyways and a labyrinth of buildings, is the historic town. The buildings are generally two-storey, south-facing, tile-roofed constructions. Some of these buildings continue to have spaces for pig-pens, corrals and annexes aligned to the alleyways.

  • Pit of Junça (), a subterranean silo in the form of an amphora, used to store cereals, constructed in the 18th century
  • Lighthouse of Ponta Negra (), located west of the small port of Boqueirão, alongside the windmills of Corvo, it was established in 1910 to secure the southern coast of the island
  • Public Office Building (), the building of the antique public finances for the island of Corvo, built during the 20th century
  • Residence of Mariana Lopes ()
  • Threshing Circle (Avenida Nova) ()
  • Windmills of Corvo () – a group of three windmills located along the Caminhos dos Moinhos (Windmill Ways), constructed of volcanic rock in a conical form, with a wooden roof and octagonal sails, accessed by elevated doorways with volcanic lateral symmetrical steps

Religious structures

  • Church of Nossa Senhora dos Milagres (), the 18th-century parish church constructed in 1570 and remodelled in the Baroque style, which houses the legendary image of Our Lady of the Miracles who "miraculously" saved the Corvinos from pirate attacks during the 16th century
  • Império of the Divino Espirito Santo (), a simple rectangular building used for celebrations tied to the Cult of the Holy Spirit, constructed around 1871

Culture

The island celebrates annual celebrations marking the feast day of its patron saint, Our Lady of Miracles (), on August 15. The event is actually a week-long religious celebration of prayer, with an evening candle-light procession on the evening of August 14, before the events on August 15, which include a solemn mass.