Architecture of Cape Verde
Unlike the African mainland, Cape Verde was uninhabited until 1461 when the Portuguese arrived, whereas most of the other islands were first inhabited after the end of the 15th century.
When the city of Ribeira Grande (now Cidade Velha) was enlarged in its early years in the 1450s, in the 1490s and the start of the 15th century, Manueline architecture would be featured in its buildings.
Most of Cidade Velha's 500 buildings until the destruction of the French featured Renaissance and Mannerist architecture, it included the churches of São Roque, São Pedro, Monte Alverne, Nossa Senhora da Conceição, the chapel of Santa Luzia, and the church and hospital of Santa Casa de Misericórdia.
Minimal architectural changes occurred with the Habsburg Philippine Dynasty in the Portuguese Empire which included Cape Verde for sixty years.
The Convent of Saint Francis (São Francisco) in Cidade Velha was built in the mid-16th century, it was destroyed by the French in 1712 during a raid and has been restored.
Other examples is São Filipe's Our Lady of Conception church ( Nossa Senhora da Conceição) which was built in a comparatively simple style at the end of the 19th century.
Praia underwent large modernization by the colonial governor João da Mata Chapuzet, one of the buildings he designed was Quartel Jaime Mota.
notable examples include Centro Nacional de Artesanato (founded as Centro de Artesanato), Palácio do Povo which features Indian style architecture with its walls and fences in pink, today which serves as the center of the island's administration and offices, others are Fortim d'El-Rei built in 1852 and used as a defense of Porto Grande and the city, the Mindelo Cultural Center, Mindelo Library, the old barracks, a replica of Lisbon's Torre de Belém, Paço do Concelho, Liceu Gil Eanes, the former British consulate, the French Cultural Center, bandstands or kiosks of Praças Estreia and Amilcar Cabral and the Mindelo Cathedral of Our Lady of Grace.
Other cities featuring late Pombaline and neoclassical architecture across Cape Verde are in the centers of Paul (Pombas), Ponta do Sol, Porto Novo, built when it was called Carvoeiros, Ribeira Brava, Tarrafal de São Nicolau, a few in Santa Maria, Sal Rei, Cidade do Maio, Pedra Badejo, Assomada, Calheta de São Miguel, Tarrafal, Cova Figueira, Mosteiros, Furna, Fajã de Agua and Nova Sintra and villages including Rabil and Povoação Velha, both on Boa Vista.
During the time, Raul Pires Ferreira Chaves was director of public works for Cape Verde and Guinea-Bissau, he also lived in Cape Verde for some years, he did architectural works including the terminal and facilities of the Sal International Airport (now known as Amílcar Cabral International Airport), Farol de Fiúra in the north point (Ponta Norte) of Sal, an urban plan for the square now known as 5 do Outubro in Praia.
A town founded for airport services, the center of Espargos once known as Preguiça features late colonial and early modern architecture, one of its buildings is the Sal Municipal Hall.
Almost the whole of the village were destroyed by lava flows of the 2014-15 eruption between November and February, several survive with minimal or moderate damages, a few were unharmed.
The film was about all the historic buildings in Cidade Velha including the Nossa Senhora do Rosário church, the pillory and its fort.
