What is the origin and meaning of "roça"?

The term "roça" originates from the act of "clearing brush" and refers to agricultural practices that are deeply embedded in the history of São Tomé and Príncipe. While it denotes lands used for cultivation, "roça" symbolizes the intersection of culture, economy, and society, reflecting the tropical influences that have shaped the archipelago's agriculture. The transition from terms like "engenho" and "fazenda" to "roça" represents an evolutionary process that unites elements from Portuguese, Brazilian, and African agrarian systems.

How did roças evolve in the archipelago's history?

Roças began to proliferate in São Tomé and Príncipe during the coffee and cocoa cycles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During this period, the islands became significant centers for agricultural production, implementing techniques aimed at maximizing productivity. The use of enslaved labor and free workers characterized these settlements, creating a complex social context that still resonates in today's society.

What influences shaped the architectural features of the roças?

The rural property model in the roças evolved from agricultural practices observed in other tropical regions, particularly Brazil. The structures of the roças often incorporated architectural elements from Brazilian farms, adapted to the climatic and cultural specifics of São Tomé and Príncipe. This cultural and architectural syncretism has made the roças symbols of national identity.

What are the main typologies of roças in São Tomé and Príncipe?

The roças can be categorically subdivided into three main typologies:

How have roças contributed to social change in the region?

The impact of roças on the social and economic development of São Tomé and Príncipe is significant. Beyond their role in agricultural production, they acted as centers of cultural convergence, facilitating the mixing of different ethnicities and traditions. The diverse communities within the roças contributed to a rich cultural tapestry, evident in local festivities, cuisine, and social practices.

What changes occurred after the abolition of slavery in 1875?

The abolition of slavery in 1875 brought significant changes, including the introduction of new regulations aimed at improving working and living conditions for laborers, who transitioned to contracted workers. This modernization in the management of roças during the early 20th century led to the creation of essential health and education infrastructures, which were crucial for human development in the region.

Historical Background

Q: What is the origin of the word "roça"?

A: The word "roça" originates from phrases meaning "to clear land," "to open clearings," or "land that has been cleared." However, there is some ambiguity regarding the factors that led to the choice of this term in the context of São Tomé. Notably, the creation and organization of these agricultural structures reflect parallels and influences from tropical environments, particularly the sugar plantations and farms of Brazil and the Spanish fincas.

Q: What was the common agricultural structure in São Tomé during the sugar cycle?

A: During the sugar cycle in the 15th century, the common agricultural structure in the archipelago was known as "engenho." This term, widely used in Brazil, referred to the machinery used for grinding sugarcane. In Brazilian engenhos, large-scale structures typically included the owners' residence (casa grande), the servants' quarters (senzala), production support structures (warehouses and mills), and a religious component (church or chapel). The engenho in São Tomé inherited certain housing and agro-industrial characteristics, allowing for the coexistence of owners, free workers, and enslaved labor.

Q: Why did the engenho fail to persist in São Tomé like it did in Brazil?

A: While the engenho structure evolved in Brazil until the late 19th century, in São Tomé, it failed by the end of the 16th century due to issues related to profitability and quality.

Q: When and how did the term "fazenda" come to be used in the São Tomé context?

A: In the mid-18th century, with the onset of a new productive cycle driven by coffee plantations, references to the term "fazenda" began to appear in São Tomé. This term was already used in Brazil to describe agricultural structures focused on monocultures of cocoa, coffee, or tobacco. The word "roça" was typically associated with northeastern Brazil, referring to a "small tract where family farming is practiced."

Q: What did "roça" mean in São Tomé between the 16th and 17th centuries?

A: Between the 16th and 17th centuries, "roça" in São Tomé referred to a small plot or agricultural establishment resulting from the clearing of land, used for subsistence crops by Europeans and Africans, with a meaning similar to that in Brazil.

Q: What similarities exist between the various terms used for agricultural settlements?

A: The terms "engenhos," "fazendas," and "roças" corresponded to similar methods of land development and occupation, focusing on land clearing and field preparation through burning.

Q: How is agricultural production characterized in São Tomé?

A: Large agricultural production units focused on monoculture and export are internationally known as "plantations." However, the literal translation of "plantação" is ambiguous in Portuguese and thus too imprecise to accurately describe the landholding structure.

Q: What led to the establishment of numerous agricultural structures in São Tomé?

A: The success of coffee and cocoa exploitation in São Tomé resulted in the establishment of many agricultural structures, significantly enhancing production capacity.

Q: How did the term "roça" become established in São Tomé?

A: The large size and prominence of roças necessitated the search for a term that could express their specificity and productive capacity. This evolutionary process was influenced by the techniques of land clearing, cultural adaptation, and the legacy of engenhos and fazendas, ultimately leading to the designation of "roça."

Q: What is the significance of the term "roça" in São Tomé and Príncipe?

A: In São Tomé and Príncipe, the term "roça" serves not only as an affirmation of the identity and specificity of its agrarian and social system but also reflects the way this system is intertwined with local culture and history.

Q: What is the evolution of the programmatic structure of the roça?

A: The emergence of numerous productive units in São Tomé and Príncipe resulted in around two hundred roças, including their main buildings and dependencies. The development of this extensive network built upon previous experiences from the engenhos, inheriting the foundations of their social and programmatic systems, such as housing and production. The establishment of roças followed a program comprising residential elements (administrators' houses, European workers' quarters, and sanzalas), agro-industrial facilities (dryers, warehouses, and production support buildings), and welfare components (health, education, and social support areas). This program evolved significantly due to three fundamental factors: the ongoing search for strategies to improve agricultural productivity, the need for self-sufficiency, and the change in workers' conditions from enslaved to contracted labor.

Q: How did the roças change from small agricultural settlements to more complex structures?

A: The roças transformed from small agricultural settlements with a main house, sanzalas, and warehouses into complex, highly mechanized, and industrialized productive clusters with a rich and varied program. The increase in productivity paralleled the growing knowledge of coffee and cocoa cultivation. The adaptation to new productive techniques involved adopting various methodologies and building new facilities within the roças.

Q: What measures were taken to achieve autonomy and self-sufficiency within the roças?

A: Given that these structures were composed of communities of thousands of inhabitants confined to an island, there was a strong drive to achieve maximum autonomy and self-sufficiency. To this end, maintenance facilities (stables, blacksmith shops, carpentry workshops), processing plants (soap and palm oil factories), and even food support structures (bakeries, pig pens, chicken coops, and shops) were introduced. Agricultural companies thus provided for most of their workers' needs, including housing, health, education, food, and clothing.

Q: How did the abolition of slavery in 1875 impact the roças?

A: The abolition of slavery in 1875 necessitated changes in worker conditions, resulting in provincial regulations that imposed new hygiene and sanitary standards on the roça program. These decrees aimed to reduce the high mortality rate by implementing preventive measures against the severe equatorial climate, which was conducive to endemic and epidemic diseases. In new buildings, regardless of their function, principles of sustainable construction (location, layout, ventilation, and materials) were integrated.

Q: What changes were made to improve living and working conditions in the roças?

A: New housing neighborhoods for sanzalas (senzala in Brazil), health facilities (hospitals, maternity wards, health posts, and pharmacies), and educational institutions (nurseries and kindergartens) were constructed. Additionally, the ongoing need for labor—crucial for plantation sustainability—prompted roça owners to enhance working conditions and services, aiming to attract new workers and showcase their efforts to improve labor standards. Improved housing and health conditions helped maintain a healthy and active workforce, maximizing the productivity of contracted labor.

Q: What role did recreational activities play within the roça communities?

A: Recreational activities were an integral part of the roça program and increasingly concerned owners. These activities aimed to alleviate the challenges of the equatorial regime and the isolation of the islands while also motivating communities. Cultural festivals and rites were imported from Portugal to culturally acclimate workers or support the Portuguese diaspora, resulting in the construction of pigeon lofts, bullrings (in Java and Bombaim), music kiosks (in Colônia Açoreana), and museums (in Sundy and Rio do Ouro), among others.

Q: How was the layout of the roças organized?

A: The hierarchy of spaces and buildings within the roças was established around a central nucleus called the terreiro. This rectangular, open space, derived from Mediterranean culture, harkens back to traditional Portuguese plazas or, on a more comparable scale, the courtyards of Roman villas. In the context of the roças, the terreiro served as the convergence point for goods and products, and interactions among owners and laborers. It functioned as the "heart" of the entire structure, accommodating various activities from cocoa seed drying and daily gatherings to payments and community celebrations.

Q: What are the typologies that characterize the roças?

A: Over the years, the ongoing optimization of roça operations led to distinct patterns or typologies that can be classified as Roça-Terreiro, Roça-Cidade, or Roça-Avenida.

• Roça-Terreiro: This smaller scale typology is organized around the terreiro and was the initial, most prevalent settlement model in the archipelago due to its size, ease of implementation, and adaptability to the terrain. Its simplicity allowed it to cater to various types of production.

• Roça-Avenida: This typology features an organizing axis that guides the layout of different terreiros and buildings stemming from the terreiro. It indicates a more intentional design following a mature understanding of daily routines and cocoa cultivation techniques, resulting in larger and more complex structures. The former roça Rio do Ouro (now Agostinho Neto) is the most prominent example of this model.

• Roça-Cidade: This model is organized according to a network of streets, gardens, and plazas, each with its own function and importance, resembling urban growth processes. The roça-cidade could reach significant sizes, resembling genuine urban clusters with high population density. Unlike the defined structures of the terreiro and avenida typologies, the roça-cidade is characterized by the growth process, where the functional distribution of housing, welfare, and production elements occurs without an established hierarchy.

Q: Can you provide an example of a roça-cidade?

A: The roça Água Izé serves as the most representative example of the roça-cidade model. Located in a coastal area, its need for expansion led to the construction of a second hospital, new blocks of sanzalas, and production support buildings, such as warehouses, soap factories, and stables.

This information is based on the follwing Souce:  As roças de São Tomé e Príncipe – um património da Lusofonia