Center for Azorean Studies – NEA
The Center for Azorean Studies (NEA) at Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina was established in 1984 to promote research aimed at preserving the Azorean Culture heritage brought to the state by settlers from the Azores.
When settlers from the Azores arrived in southern Brazil in the mid-eighteenth century, they had already developed, over more than two centuries in the archipelago, social, demographic and cultural characteristics that differed in many respects from those of mainland Portugal. Their presence along the coast of Santa Catarina played a decisive role in shaping the region’s cultural landscape. Over the following centuries, their cultural traditions spread throughout the state’s coastline and continue to influence more than one million people living in 45 coastal municipalities.
In addition to conducting research on the Azorean culture, NEA carries out outreach activities throughout the coast of Santa Catarina, offering courses, lectures, cultural mapping projects and teacher training. The Center also created the Azorean Culture Festival (AÇOR), which showcases the most significant and authentic expressions of this cultural heritage in the state.
NEA has also established a Governing Council composed of representatives from cultural institutions and municipal governments along the Santa Catarina coast. Regional universities also hold seats on the Council. Today, the Center conducts research, preserves Azorean cultural heritage and shares the results of its work with the community, contributing to the appreciation of the state’s Azorean roots.
The Center also maintains a library open to the community, featuring rare titles unavailable elsewhere in Santa Catarina, as well as a collection of traditional costumes, handicrafts and music recordings.
Coordinator: Francisco do Vale Pereira
Phone: +55 48 3721-8605
E-mail: nea@contato.ufsc.br
Website: nea.ufsc.br
