舊城
In 1460, António de Noli became the first to visit the island. Da Noli settled at "Ribeira Grande" (now Cidade Velha) with his family members and Portuguese from Algarve and Alentejo in 1462. Transcontinental slavery made Cidade Velha the second richest city in the Portuguese realm. The wealth of Ribeira Grande and conflicts between Portugal and rival colonial powers France and Britain attracted pirate attacks, including those by Francis Drake (1585) and Jacques Cassard (1712). Ribeira Grande went into decline, and the capital was moved to Praia in 1770.