2020Azores (self-adhesive stamps) - First Day Cover

National Musical Instruments

The first settlers of the Azores archipelago came from the mainland. These settlements emerged as a way of taking advantage of the geographical location, accessibility and economic potential of each of the nine islands. In addition to their habits and customs, the settlers also brought the viola, which over the years has undergone a modification process, culminating in the change of its name to Viola da Terra or Viola dos Dois Corações.

Traditional Azorean music re ects the isolation and peculiar characteristics of the islands, in which the inhabitants created their own way of living. Viola da Terra has assumed, over time, great social and cultural importance, being present in most popular manifestations.

Azores - Handicraft

Azorean ceramics show a re ned taste and aesthetic sense in all objects produced in these islands. The clay extracted from the island of Santa Maria, sometimes mixed with Terceira’s, allows potters to produce pure and sublime pieces, both utilitarian and decorative, that enrich the heritage of Portuguese ceramics. The ceramic industry in Lagoa, with links to the ceramic industry in the North of Portugal, was established throughout the 19th century, started the production of earthenware in the Azores. The serial manufacture of pieces painted with owers and other plant motifs, are presented in the form of various decorative objects.

It is from the second half of the 19th century that local tile production takes on importance, with the foundation of the rst factories on the islands of São Miguel and Terceira.

The production of ceramics clearly contributed to the a rmation of the Azorean artistic identity.

Tourism Azores

The archipelago of the Azores is of unmatched beauty and o ers unique conditions for the development of sustainable nature tourism, thanks to its wonderful natural heritage that it is possible to enjoy several unique experiences. As this place is one of the most privileged in the world, whale watching is one of the activities of excellence that can be carried out.

More than a third of cetacean species from all over the world pass through the sea of this

archipelago, which can vary between resident and migratory species, making it possible to observe these animals throughout the year.
If the sea conditions are adverse, there is a chance to observe these cetaceans through the “vigias da baleia”, ancient observation posts and support for whale hunting, which are now recovered for observation by tourists and researchers.

Fruits of Portugal - 2nd group

Originally from South America, it is possible that the delicious and perfumed Passion Fruit of the Azores arrived in the archipelago in the age of the Discoveries, brought by a ship carrying other exotic species. This fruit, which has Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, exists on all the islands of the archipelago, both cultivated and growing wild, as it develops and bears fruit without the need for any special care. The passion fruit of the Azores is yet another Portuguese product with quality guaranteed.

Peter Café Sport

In 1943, José Azevedo (1925-2005), son of the owner of the Café Sport, Henrique de Azevedo, was given the nickname of Peter by the commander of the Royal Navy’s H.M.S. Lusitania II, a way for the Briton to remember the son that was far away. It was in 1918 that Henrique de Azevedo opened the Café Sport, which still operates in the same building today. The international spirit had always had an in uence on the Café Sport, starting with the name – a direct re ection of the passion for sports cultivated by Henrique Azevedo. This attitude revealed the British in uence, as was the case with his fondness for gin and tonic, a drink that would become one of the symbols of the establishment to the delight of the many British sailors who landed there. In 1921, the Dutch joined them. It was the Dutch who donated the blue and black paints which came to adorn the outside of the café. But, like the British, they were also decisive in shaping the spirit of the interior when the development of yachting gave a de nitive boost to the popularity of Peter Café. Since the beginning of the 20th century, it is to the adress of this café that much of the correspondence is sent to sailors’, a convenience known as poste restante.