Assomada is an old settlement located on a high plateau in the interior of Santiago island, cradled by a wild range of mountains that emerges from sea level like a spiny reptile’s back. Assomada (pop. fifteen thousand) is surrounded by fantastic stony peaks that are punctuated by deep ribeiras—river valleys carved by water and debris tumbling down into the sea over millennia. The tallest mountain south of Assomada, Pico de Antónia, reaches the height of 1394 meters, and the imposing Serra da Malagueta range lies to the north of the plateau. Assomada’s high elevation brings both cooler temperatures and more moisture to the area, making the region viable for small-scale farming.

Assomada serves as the seat for the municipality of Santa Catarina, a tract that encompasses much of Santiago’s interior. Connected by road to the port city Praia twenty-six kilometers to the south and to Tarrafal harbor at the northern end of the island, the town has long been an important hub for island activities. This is evident in Assomada’s many Portuguese colonial-style buildings, reflecting its role as the commerce and administrative center of Santa Catarina. The city developed around a prominent Catholic church and government buildings situated on a town square. There is a busy walled marketplace close by with the telling name Pelourinho (Little Pillory Market). This name marks the site of a centrally located whipping post, or pillory, where enslaved Africans were sold or beaten, one of several such posts on Santiago island. Although Pelourinho has become just the name of the marketplace through everyday usage, the name should serve as a reminder that Assomada culture has direct historical connections to slavery, the Atlantic slave trade commerce, and to colonial insurrections.