Solar dos Noronhas

The Noronha’s manor-house was built after the 1757 earthquake, by  Sergeant-major António Silveira e Ávila, who lived in it until his death in 1814.

The manorial building consists of two dwelling and a chapel, having the former been accidentally burnt down, in the middle of the 19th Century, of which only the outer walls now remain. This historical estate includes not only a manor-house with its chapel, but also an armoury, a granary, threshing-floors, a barn, a horse-driven mill, a ridding yard, a cellar, a distillery and a vast area of farming land, with its surrounding access grounds.

The chapel is baroque style, with a golden carving altar, it was erected in honour of the Madonna of Miracles along with a vestry (sacristy), a choir, a pulpit, a gallery and four underground mortuary chambers, where lies the mortal remains of his family members deceased, until 1846 when such procedure was officially banned.

The mortal remain of António Silveira e Ávila also lie inside in one of these chambers, who by his own will, was buried standing, opposite the altar.

In the armoury, gunpowder and ammunitions used to be stored for the defence of the population against pirate attacks, which swept the islands until the first quarter of the 19th Century.

The history of this manor-house is related to the defence of Saint George’s Island and to the “Ordenanças”, since the two last Captains assigned with the defence of Calheta lived in it until 1834, when the “Ordenanças” were extinct by royal decree.

The manor-house was rated Building of Public Interest, according to the “Resolution nº 146/95 from 10th of August”, issued by the Regional Government of Azores. In the years 2000 and 2001, the chapel has undergone repair and restoration works which costs were partially covered by the Regional Government of Azores, through the Regional Secretary of Culture.»