Cidade Velha (Portuguese for "old city"), or simply Cidadi in Cape Verdean Creole, is a city located 15 km from Praia (Cape Verde's capital) on the island of Santiago. It is the oldest settlement in Cape Verde and used to serve as the capital of Cape Verde Africa 's northwest coast, this city center was the first European colonial settlement in the tropics. Some of the meticulously planned original design of the site is still intact, from a royal fortress to two towering churches to a 16th-century town square. Today, Cidade Velha is an Atlantic shipping stop and center for Creole culture.
History
After the island was discovered, the city was named Ribeira Grande (Portuguese for large river) by António da Noli, in 1462. In 1466, the settlement became an important port for trading slaves from Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone to Brazil and the Caribbean . Transcontinental slavery made Cidade Velha the second richest city in the Portuguese realm.
Cidade Velha's port was a stopping place for two great navigators: Vasco of Gamma, in 1497, on his way to India , and Christopher Columbus, in 1498, while on his third voyage to the Americas
Cidade Velha has the oldest colonial church in the world, constructed in 1495.[citation needed] The fort Real de São Filipe overlooks the town. It was constructed in 1590 to defend the Portuguese colony from the attacks of the Frenchmen and English. However, it was sacked by French pirates in 1712. The capital was moved to Praia
The city became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2009.
According to 1990 data, Cidade Velha had 2,148 inhabitants.
Cidade Velha (1990–2005)
1990 2000 2005
2148 — —
Sites of interest
Pelourinho - Located in a square praça and has the history of slavery in Ribeira Grande dating back to 1513. It was first raised in 1520.
Fort Real de São Filipe, constructed in 1590 was a fort which was built for attacking pirates and defending the Portuguese colony from French and the English. The elevation is at 120 m above sea level.
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