The Império do Porto Judeu de Baixo, also known as Império do Terreiro, is located in the parish of Porto Judeu, municipality of Angra do Heroísmo, located in Terreiro.
It was built in 1916, in its current location, and replaces another one, built in wood, that existed nearby, before the opening of Rua do Terreiro, around 1910.
This empire, whose statutes are unknown, because they disappeared, has a pantry on the ground floor and a support house, acquired and refurbished in 1997, which serves as a storage room for crockery, tables, benches, etc., as well as an oven and a dining room.
This empire serves most of the parish, having an administrative commission composed of 3 elements, with a three-year term. Each of the two stewardships, formerly called stewardship of the land and stewardship of the sea, are composed of 6 brothers, who offer 11 arrobas of meat to serve the “brotherhoods” of the empire. Each family can give the “brotherhood” that is the quota, immediately becoming a “brother”.
There is no list of brothers, nor distribution of Domingas do Espírito Santo, and therefore anyone can take the “pelouro” to carry out the coronation.
This empire holds the feasts of the Divine Holy Spirit on Pentecost and Trinity Sundays. The Sundays start from Easter Sunday and each person can apply for them, at the time of the draw for the portfolios that takes place on the day of the bodo.
The Feasts of Pentecost and Trinity have two sides – one religious and the other cultural.
Thus, on Sundays of the bodos, processions take place from the emperors’ houses to the parish church where a festive mass is celebrated with coronations, at the end of which the procession heads towards the empire. Once the bread has been blessed by the parish priest, it is distributed, along with wine, to the people present in the terreiro. Once this stage is over, the emperor and his guests share a meal/function with the typical soups of Espírito Santo, stew, rump and the usual rice pudding.
In the afternoon, there is a festival with philharmonic concerts. On the patio, tables are placed with massa sovada, wine, drained beans, lupins and other appetizers, which encourages a healthy coexistence of the families of the parish with each other, a fact that contributes to the social cohesion of the parish. Sometimes there is also a bazaar and challenge songs. Towards the end of the afternoon, the usual auctions are carried out with the donations of promises, whose proceeds revert to the empire and the Sundays / Pelouros are drawn and the administrative commissions are appointed for the bodos of the following year.
Still within the scope of the festive program of the bodos, whenever possible, a rope bullfight is held in the parish.
Source: http://roteirodesazores.com/festa/imperio-do-porto-judeu-de- Baixo/