Why it deserves a visit
Built in contrasting basalt and pale stone, the three arches were moved to Gonçalo Velho Square in the twentieth century and remain Ponta Delgada’s best-known civic symbol.
What to look for
The three arches use the characteristic contrast between dark basalt and pale stone. Built near the former quay in the eighteenth century, they were moved in 1952 to Gonçalo Velho Square and became a symbol of the city.
Plan your visit
This is an open urban landmark, not a ticketed monument. View it with the parish church and square, respecting pedestrians and events that sometimes occupy the centre. Relocation accompanied changes to the waterfront and turned the arches into an urban memorial detached from their original function as an entrance beside the quay.
The eighteenth-century arches are a civic landmark relocated to their present waterfront square. They are best understood with the parish church and surrounding urban fabric, not as a ticketed monument requiring a long standalone visit.
