Larantuka
TheCatholic Larantuka Cathedral, Indonesia
Larantuka Location inIndonesia Show map of Flores Larantuka Larantuka (Indonesia) Show map of Indonesia
Coordinates:8°18′48″S123°00′15″E / 8.31333°S 123.00417°E /-8.31333; 123.00417
Country	Indonesia
Region	Lesser Sunda Islands
Province	East Nusa Tenggara
Regency	East Flores
Area
• Total	75.91 km2 (29.31 sq mi)
Population  (mid 2023 estimate)
• Total	41,642
• Density	548.6/km2 (1,421/sq mi)
	[1]
Time zone	UTC+8 (WITA)

Larantuka (Dutch:Larantoeka,Portuguese:Larantuca) is akecamatan (district) and theseat ofEast Flores Regency, on the eastern end ofFlores Island,East Nusa Tenggara,Indonesia. Like much of the region, Larantuka has a strongcolonialPortuguese influence. The town (including the two rural villages within the administrative district) covers a land area of 75.91 km², and had 37,348 inhabitants at the 2010 census^[2] and 40,828 at the 2020 census;^[3] the official estimate as at mid 2023 was 41,642 - comprising 20,746 males and 20,896 females.^[1] This overwhelmingly (95.4%)Roman Catholic area enjoys some international renown for itsHoly Week celebrations.^[4][5]

Larantuka Malay (also known as Ende Malay), a localdialect over 80%cognate withIndonesian, is used as alingua franca in this area.Portuguese is used in certain Catholic religious rituals.^[6][7]

Larantuka District comprises eighteen urban subdistricts (kelurahan) and two rural villages (desa), listed below with their areas and their populations as officially estimated for mid 2023,^[1] together with their postcodes.

The main part of the town is situated along the eastern and southern coasts of the promontory created by Mount Ile Mandiri (which rises to a height of 1,510 m), and thus on the lower slopes of that mountain. The rest of the mountain lies in adjacent Ile Mandiri District - which physically separates Larantuka on the landward side from the rest of Flores Island. Of the two ruraldesa, Mokantarakdesa is an exclave which is separated by part of Ile Mandiri District from the rest of Larantuka District, and by the waters of the strait between Flores andAdonara, while Lamawalangdesa lies at the western end of the built-up area of the town (and thus beyond the eighteenkelurahan).

Briefly before 1600 Portuguese traders leftSolor and settled in Larantuka. The traders conflicted with theDominicans in Solor because they were more interested in trade than inChristianization. In 1613 theDutch occupied Solor and the Dominicans moved to Larantuka, too.

Larantuka was a nexus for the trade ofsandalwood fromTimor and became the Portuguese trading center of South EastIndonesia. It was also a refuge for deserters of theDutch East India Company (VOC).

Two waves of immigration brought additional population. As the Dutch conqueredMalacca in 1641, many Portuguese moved to Larantuka. Two villages,Wureh andKonga, accommodated the new arrivals. As the Dutch attackedMakassar in 1660, most of the Portuguese from there also came to Larantuka.

The Portuguese took indigenous wives, but they always wrote down their Portuguese ancestry.^[8] This new population group was calledTopasses, but they called themselvesLarantuqueiros (inhabitants of Larantuka). The Dutch called them alsoZwarte Portugeesen ("black Portuguese").

The Larantuqueiros turned out a loose, but mighty power in the region, whose influence reached far beyond the settlement. The core cell was the federation of Larantuka, Wureh, and Konga. Theoretically, they were subordinated to Portugal. But in practice they were free. They had no Portuguese administration and they did not pay taxes. Letters from the Lisbon government were ignored. For long years there was a bloody struggle for power between the familiesda Costa andde Hornay. In the end, they shared the power.

The Larantuqueiros made "alliances" with the indigenous people of Flores and Timor. They followed a certain strategy; the most notableraja was converted toCatholicism by military pressure. He had to take an oath of allegiance to the king of Portugal and thereon the titleDom was granted to him. The raja was allowed to rule his folk autonomously, but in war, he had to supply auxiliary forces.

The Larantuqueiros were the rulers and establishedPortuguese as the official language to distance themselves from the natives.^[9] The language of commerce was theMalay language, which was understood on the surrounding islands.

In 1640 the Larantuqueiros settled inLifau on Timor to gain control over the sandalwood of Timor. From Lifau they expanded to the island's hinterland where sandalwood grows. With strong forces the sovereigns there were compelled to enter into negotiations. For the delivery ofmusketry, the Larantuqueiros gained control over most of the sandalwood production and were able to control the price.

Trade was flourishing when the “white Portuguese” came by order of the king of Portugal to exert influence, on Timor. But they were besieged by the Larantuqueiros and left empty-handed in 1769. In 1854 the Portuguese offered the Dutch the sovereign rights for sale. The contract was ratified in 1859.

The Dutch sent a military and administrative officer, who took residence in a small fort. But they do not influence the population.^[10]

Larantuka offered little promise, after the downturn of the sandalwood trade. The Larantuqueiros resorted to farming. Not much was left of the former profitable foreign trade.

Formally the Larantuqueiros were Catholics, but the control of the belief was devolved to laymen organisations, which gave the belief a new direction. In Larantuka the most powerful organisation wasA Confraria da Rainha do Rosário, the brotherhood of the rosary queen, which exists still this day.

The contract between the Portuguese and the Dutch respected religious freedom. Thus DutchCalvinism did not take root. However, DutchJesuits engaged in missionary work. Starting in Larantuka by building the firstrectory and reintroducing the orthodox form of Catholicism again. Monogamy was reinforced due to their influence. The missionaries even built Catholic schools and brought health care.

With the independence of Indonesia, the Larantuqueiros gained new influence. They were able to reach leading positions because they had a more high level of education than the natives. Even the Indonesian language, which became the new official language, was easy for them because it is very similar to the Malay language.^[11]

Indonesia Tourism describes:

Larantuka is a neat clean seaport with a beautiful view. Everything is within walking distance except for the pier where the boats leave for Timor (4-5 km from town). [...Larantuka is a] little port nestled at the base of a tall hill at the eastern end of Flores, from where Solor, Adonara, andLembata islands (the small islands nearby) are visible across the narrow strait. [...] people are very outgoing and friendly. Theirbemos are brightly painted with murals on the sides and their radios are blasting the latest tunes. Lots of Catholic churches line the roads with a fewmosques sprinkled in. [...] There are several tuna boats at the docks. They have a big square platform on the bow wherefishermen line up with bamboo poles, flipping hooked tunas.^[5]

"Semana Santa" (Holy Week), the week beforeEaster, is an important time of religious celebration for the devoutly Catholic people of theDiocese of Larantuka.^[12] The celebrations center on two religious statues, one ofJesus Christ and one ofthe Virgin Mary brought by Portuguese missionaries Gaspar do Espírito Santo and Agostinho de Madalena in the 16th century. These statues are only presented to the public every Easter and are kept out of view for the rest of the year.^[13]

The religious festivities begin on the Wednesday before Easter, known locally asRabu Trewa or "Shackled Wednesday" in remembrance of the betrayal ofJudas Iscariot that led to Jesus's arrest and shackling. Devotees surround the chapel ofTuan Ana where the statue of Jesus is kept, shouting inLatin to mourn the arrest of Jesus byRoman soldiers. Devotees likewise surround the chapel ofTuan Ma in nearbyLohayong village where the statue of the Virgin Mary is kept.^[13][14]

OnHoly Thursday, devotees enact thetikam turo ritual that prepares the route of the next day's seven-kilometer procession by planting candles along the road. After the candle is prepared, devotees attend themunda tuan ritual in which members of areligious fraternity known as theKonfreria Reinha Rosaria (Brotherhood of the Queen of Roses) bathe the statues of Jesus and Mary. Theholy water used is afterward considered special and is saved to cure ill children and to help women having birth complications.^[13]

On the morning of Good Friday, the raja of Larantuka opens the door of the chapel of Tuan Ma thus making many for devotees to enter. Hisclan, the Diaz Vieira de Godinho, enter first followed by the brotherhood members and the rest of the population. Worshipers kiss the statue of Mary and pray for divine benevolenceper Mariam ad Jesum (through Mary to Jesus).^[13][15]

Meanwhile, the statue of Jesus is taken from the chapel in Larantuka and is brought on a seven-kilometer-long procession by land and sea. The procession has eight stops, each representing a major clan of Larantuka (among which are the Mulawato, Sarotari, Amakalen, Kapitan Jentera, Fernandez da Gomez, Diaz Pohon Sirih, and Diaz Vieira de Godinho clans). At each stop, there is a small chapel where a short prayer and devotional singing honor the suffering ofthe Passion. When the statues of Jesus and Mary are united, they are brought together to Larantuka Cathedral where many devotees attend a Good Friday service that lasts all night.^[13]

The area is served byGewayantana Airport.

Larantuka has atropical savanna climate (Aw) with a long dry season and short wet season.

• Kingdom of Larantuka

• Semana Sancta Tradition in Larantuka

Wikimedia Commons has media related toLarantuka.

• Populated places in East Nusa Tenggara
• Districts of East Nusa Tenggara
• Flores Island (Indonesia)
• Regency seats of East Nusa Tenggara
• 1859 establishments in the Dutch Empire

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