The first Azorean historians referred to this parish, owing to the settlement of Inês da Maia, a noblewoman that established a home here in the 15th century. The settlement of the community dates back to the early settlement of Ribeira Grande; the construction of the main church was begun at the end of the 15th century. This area is also the location of the Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Resgate (), from the 18th century, constructed with a decorative facade by the local farmers. In its interior,
azulejos were assembled on the altar with a medallion and the patron saint in the same decoration. In the area of Lombinha da Maia, named for its location on a small hill/escarpment (), a small chapel was constructed in 1896, to the invocation of
Nossa Senhora das Dores. Later it was adapted, with a baptistery and sacristy to support the parishioners. On 27 October 1919, a commission was installed to establish a religious Brotherhood, dedicated to the Holy Spirit of Maia () was convened. In 1943, the group erected a cornerstone for the local hospital, inaugurated on 24 September 1944. With the acquisition of the local pharmacy in 1946, the Santa Casa supported the population from Porto Formoso until Fenais da Ajuda. The first male school was created in 1860, and later another schoolhouse dedicated to female students was established in 1877, eventually resulting in the development of the first primary school in January 1890. These schools were installed in private residences, which were later substituted by centenary schools, as part of centenary build programs at the turn of the century, opening on 1 December 1951. In 2000, Maia inaugurated a new EB2/3 secondary school to support the regional population. ==Geography==