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The Historic Center Of Mindelo

São Vicente, Cape Verde

The historic center of Mindelo, is linked to the grand past of the island of São Vicente and, which manifests itself in buildings differentiated in time and in architectural style. Despite its late humanization, Mindelo experienced frank development from the 19th century onwards, with facilities from English coal companies attracted by the excellence of the Porto Grande bay and by the privileged geostrategic position of the archipelago, to supply the ships that sailed in the South Atlantic.

Mindelo is a city located on the island of São Vicente, is the seat of the homonymous municipality and is the second largest city in Cape Verde. It occupies a total area of 67 km² to the northwest of the island, in Porto Grande Bay, a natural port formed by the underwater crater of a volcano about 4 km in diameter.

Due to the economic and population growth that gave the island more and more importance, the settlement of Mindelo was elevated to the category of village in the year 1858, by the Royal Decree of 29 April. About twenty years later, it acquired the status of a city.

Currently, the Historic Center, which is called Morada, bears witness to the intense human activity around Porto Grande, which has led to the emergence of a peculiar architecture, with a strong colonial character visible in the buildings, in the gardens, in the corridors, in the squares, on the streets and sidewalks.

On the other hand, an intense port activity initiates a strong interaction of different peoples, materializing in a diversified culture, generating the necessary conditions for the emergence of internationally renowned artists such as Cesária Évora.

Thus, recognizing the historical and patrimonial value of the Centro Histórico do Mindelo, it was classified as National Heritage in 2012, by Resolution No. 6/2012 of 31 January.

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