The name of Arco de São Jorge parish comes of the mountains that surround him shaped in “bow”.

Until 1676 the territory of the actual parish belonged to São Jorge parish, which inherited the “appendix” of “São Jorge”. The Arco de São Jorge was high to parish category in 28th December of this same year.

Belonged to São Jorge parish since that this was created in 1517, but in 1676 as separated and then called Arco de São Jorge.

One of the first settlers of Madeira was Pedro Gomes Galdo that had large lands of allotment in São Jorge and Boaventura.

It`s thought that Arco de São Jorge parish was populated between XV and XVI, time before the creation of São Jorge parish.

This little parish it`s one of the most fertile of all north in Madeira Island. Produce all agricultural food stuffs with a big featured for the cultivation of sugar cane.

One of the principal’s sites of São Jorge parish is the Quebrada which this name should to the big broken in 2010.

In XVI century, the local people of this parish were from continental Portugal, more precisely of Minho and Algarve.

Its primitive hermitage, dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy, was situated in actual Casais Site and was created by the Bishop D.Frei António Teles.

In 18th January 1740, was built the parish church, because of the shrine of Our Lady of Mercy, this is in deplorable condition.

In 31th March 1748, an earthquake caused huge damages in the parish church.