Fajãzinha
Fajãzinha is a civil parish in the municipality of Lajes das Flores located from the main town of Lajes das Flores, on the western coast of Portuguese island of Flores. The population in 2011 was 76, in an area of . It contains the localities Fajãzinha and Ladeiras. History. The western coast was explored during the middle of the 16th century, with the first stable settlements appearing in the beginning of the following century. These first colonists were captained by João Soares, native of São Miguel, who settled in the area of Lajedo. Fajãzinha was de-annexed from Lajes das  Flores in July 1676, by provision of the bishop of Angra, friar D. Lourenço de Castro. The parish of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios das Fajãs was established, with a jurisdiction that included the western coast from Ponta da Fajã until Mosteiro. It is the fourth oldest religious parish on the island. One of the first stories from Fajãzinha was in 1789, by a judge, José Gonçalves da Silva, who referred to the construction of a stone bridge over the Ribeira Grande. It was a formidable construction for the era. It became historically referred to as "a ponte da má memória  (the bridge of bad memories"); as Father António Camões would relate: Administratively, Fajãzinha has always been an administrative division of Lajes das Flores. Between 1895 and 1898, it was de-annexed from Lajes and incorporated into the neighbouring municipality of Santa Cruz das Flores. Since 1616 it was the religious center of the parish of the Fajãs, a Catholic organ whose principal patron was Nossa Senhora dos Remédios, that included Ponta, Fajã Grande, Caldeira and Mosteiro. But by 1850, Mosteiro and Caldeira become their own parishes, and in 1861, Fajã Grande and Ponta Delgada das Flores, received the same privilege . 20th century. On 3 December 2010, around 5:00 am, following 72 consecutive hours of rain, a mudslide hit the town, causing severe destruction. During the event, homes were inundated, while cars and property were dragged away by a river of mud, water, vegetation and refuse from the village. At about 11:50 a.m., as the showers dissipated, the extent of the damage was made evident: the "junta de freguesia" (), main access to the hamlet, and electricity were cut off (although EDA, the local utility, was able to put the village on generators quickly). As some villagers congregated in the primary school  and local church, some were immediately evacuated to the tourist village of Cuada to the south of parish. On 13 June 2012, the "Secretaria Regional da Ciência, Tecnologia e Equipamentos" ("Regional Secretariat for Science, Technology and Equipment") awarded the contract for construction of two retaining walls, construction of ditches and new paving of the parish to Tecnovia Açores, S.A. in order to improve access to the region following the mudslides. Geography. The parish is located on the west coast of the Flores, south of the Fajã Grande, and extends through an irregular plain that includes four crater-lakes: "Lagoa Funda  (Deep Lake", which is deep), "Lagoa Comprida" ("Long Lake"), "Lagoa Branca" ("White Lake"), and "Lagoa Seca" (Dry Lake). It is an area of many peat-bogs, and forests of endemic plants, including the "cedro-do-mato" (Azorean juniper), used by local artisans. Nearby is the waterfall, Cascata da Ribeira Grande. Fajãzinha is intersected by the Ribeira Grande, a major river/rapids on the island, which, apart from its crystalline waters, is known for its innumerable floods. Father José António Camões, in his work Roteiro Exacto da Costa da Ilha, mentions the following: The region is a natural jewel, that João  Vieira wrote: The 2011 Lorca earthquake was responsible for creating a special wetland around the coast of Fajazinha. Baptized the "Lagoa do Rolo", it has become the most westerly lake in Europe, although it is considerably small, spawning a small habitat for migrating birds from North America, during the fall (including the hawfinch and the hooded merganser).