Funchal is the capital of the island of Madeira. It is rich in monuments of religious architecture, most of which were built in the 15th – 16th centuries. In the civil architecture of the city, the City Hall (XVIII century), the Customs building (XVI century), the fortress-palace of St. Lawrence (XVI century), the forts do Pico and Santiago (XVII-XVIII centuries) are noteworthy. Of the museums, it is worth noting the Museum of Ecclesiastical Art (Flemish and Portuguese paintings of the 16th century, jewelry and statues), the Cruzes estate (furniture and decorative art), the Vicente Museum of Photography and the House Museum of Frederico de Freitas. In the capital, you should definitely admire the gardens, especially the Botanical one, and the estates where you can ride in a traditional bull sled.

According to etaizhou.info, Santana is a picturesque village with traditional triangular thatched houses. Here it is good to make a walking tour to the highest point of Madeira – Pico Areeira.

In the old seaside town of Machico, it is worth visiting the 15th century cathedral. with a collection of paintings and tiles, the chapel of Nossa Señora dos Milagres, the fountain of San Roque and the forts of Nossa Señora do Amparu and St. John the Baptist of the 17th century.

The coastal village of Porto Moniz is famous for its natural reservoirs formed in volcanic reefs. Next to it is a fishing village where Winston Churchill painted his watercolors.

The center of the island of Porto Santois Vila Baleira with a magnificent thalassotherapy center. The main attractions of the island: the house of Christopher Columbus (XV century), the Cathedral (XV century), Fort St. Joseph (XVIII century), as well as the peaks of Atalaia, Castelo and Fashu.

History in Madeira Islands, Portugal

The Madeira archipelago was discovered in 1420 by the Portuguese navigator João Gonçalves Zarco. The team that landed on the shore saw impenetrable forests, so the island was named Madeira, which means “tree” in Portuguese. To move deeper into the island, they began to cut down the forest, but this turned out to be a very laborious task, so they simply set fire to the forest and sailed to the mainland. Madeira burned for seven years. When the Portuguese returned, the fire had already gone out. The resulting layer of ash turned out to be very fertile. The island began to be planted with exotic plants, including sugar cane. Due to the cane trade, Madeira became the richest region. Portuguese and English families began to gather, build villas, lay livadas (irrigation canals).

Since all the plants were brought from different parts of the world, now Madeira blooms all year round. For centuries, the paths of caravels ran through Madeira, heading in search of new lands in the East. This is where Christopher Columbus set sail.

Since the 19th century the island acquires the glory of a resort. Then in Europe they knew only two seaside resorts – the French Riviera and Madeira. Members of royal houses, famous writers and politicians rested here.

Embassy in Madeira Islands, Portugal

Madeira islands, Portugal, embassy in Moscow
Moscow, Botanichesky pereulok, 1 Tel. -03, 280-62-93

Madeira Islands, Portugal, Russian Embassy in the country:
Rua Visconde de Santarem, 59, 1000, Lisboa

Phone (8-10-3511) 846-2424, 846-2423, 846-2524

Fax (8-10-3511) 846-3008

Religion in Madeira Islands, Portugal

Most of the people of Madeira are Catholics. The church has a great influence on the government.

Funchal, Madeira Island (Madeira Islands, Portugal)

Funchal is the capital of the island of Madeira. It is picturesquely located in a bay against the backdrop of mountains. Its narrow streets meander between graceful colonial-era buildings. In the historical part of the city there are government buildings and beautiful mansions of the 18th century. The main attractions of Funchal include the Se Cathedral (1486-1514) with a unique cedar ceiling and magnificent carvings of the Golden Chapel, the Santa Clara Church (XVI century); the old wine house Blandy, which occupies part of the Franciscan monastery of the 17th century. (the tour includes wine tasting). On the outskirts of the city there are botanical gardens, which contain plants from all continents.

There is an interesting entertainment on the island – the descent from the city of Monte to Funchal on a guided sled. Sleighs became one of the ways to travel between cities in 1850. The trip is breathtaking and lasts about 20 minutes.

In the small village of Camara de Lobos, west of Funchal, you can admire the second largest cliff in the world.