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I.S.A.L. | Instituto Superior de Administração e Línguas

TOURIST ENTERTAINMENT
Main Tourist / Cultural Animation in the City of Funchal

Lecturer: Luz Silva

Funchal 2023

Müllerová Zuzana
Abstrakt
This seminar work deals with the description of selected tourist and cultural activities in the city of
Funchal and the city as such. In the first part of this work, I focused on the description of the city of
Funchal itself, from the point of view of history and geography (location, population, political system,
climate, tourists). In the second part of the thesis, there is a detailed description of individual tourist
and cultural activities that can be visited in the city of Funchal.

Keywords: tourist activities, cultural activities, tourism

Table of Content

1. Introducion .................................................................................... 3
1.1 Methodology ............................................................................ 3
2. History ........................................................................................... 3
3. Geography ..................................................................................... 3
4. Main Tourist / Cultural Animation ................................................. 4
5. Conclusion ..................................................................................... 9
6. Sources ........................................................................................ 10

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1. Introducion
Funchal is the capital and largest city of the autonomous state of Madeira. It is a very important tourist
city, which has recently become more and more attractive for tourists from all over the world. In
addition to the cathedral, chapels, fortress, museums, galleries and other monuments, important
botanical gardens and parks can also be visited here. Funchal also offers many experiential activities,
such as dolphin and whale watching, Monte Toboggan run or go to The Santa Maria Flagship. Funchal
also offers its residents and visitors a rich program that includes festivals such as Carnival in Madeira,
The Madeira Flower Festival, Sugar Cane, The Atlantic Festival and Jazz Festival, The Wine Festiva or
Christmas in Madeira Island.

1.1Methodology
For this seminar work, I will use the method of collecting data from publicly available sources and using
my own knowledge.

2. History
The name of Funchal derives from Foeniculum vulgare plant, the fennel plant. Reports at the time
indicated that upon disembarking on the island, the first sight was a dense grove valley and an
abundance of fennel plants essential in food and traditional desserts. Despite the abundance of fennel
it was the sugar that provided the development of a sustainable economy in the city of Funchal and
throughout the island. The Madeira Wine succeeded the sugar, becoming one of the symbols of the
region nowadays. Sugar and wine production in Funchal become indispensable to the local economy
and their icons were embedded in the coat of arms of the city.

Funchal was one of the first captaincies of Madeira, with the first appointed captain João Gonçalves
Zarco - one of the main navigators who discovered the archipelago - who in 1425, settled in the city
with his family. The development of Funchal allowed the city to quickly evolve from autonomous
parishes to a village and later to a municipality, being elevated to city in 1508. In 1835, due to the
growth and degree of prosperity of the city, Funchal developed to the limits it has now and it is limited
by the Santana municipalities, Câmara de Lobos and Santa Cruz. The city has become a key trade point
in the center of the Atlantic, allowing trade, culture and experiences exchanges. Funchal is unique for
its diversity, from the sea to the mountains, from the fruits to the flowers and from the embroidery to
the wicker toboggans, all influenced by its tropical climate, which allows unique productions and
activities.

3. Geography
Funchal is the main and, with more than 110,000 inhabitants, the largest city of Madeira. It is the sixth
largest city in Portugal. The city lies in a wide bay in the southeast of the island and is bordered by the
Atlantic Ocean.It stretches from the sea to the hills. It is made up of 4 basic units - the historic center
in the middle, the Old Town (Zona Velha) in the east, the tourist area with hotels in the west and
residential areas around.

Since 1976, the Madeira archipelago has had the status of an autonomous region of the Portuguese
Republic. Madeira thus has its own government, which is under the supervision of the Portuguese
government. Madeira's regional government is based in the capital, Funchal, as is the local parliament.
The strongest local political party is the PSD. The President of the Autonomous Region of Madeira is

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Miguel Filipe Machado de Albuquerque. Madeira also has its own flag, coat of arms and anthem. The
island is divided into eleven districts, ten of which are on the main island and one on Porto Santo.

Funchal has a subtropical Mediterranean climate with even temperatures throughout the year. The
climate can be divided into three main seasons: warm and dry (May – September), warm and humid
(October – November) and the slightly cooler rainy season (December – April). Humidity remains
consistently around 70%. The sea temperature varies from 18 °C to 24 °C.

4. Main Tourist / Cultural Animation

Funchal is one of the oldest holiday destinations for Europeans. Already in the middle of the 19th
century, the first tourists came to Madeira. Today, around 500,000 tourists arrive each year, 2/3 of
them come to Funchal. In addition, there are countless cruise ships that stop in Madeira on their way
to Africa or the Americas so that travelers can stroll around the capital, take photos and shop.

Here are the most famous of them:

Monte Palace Tropical Gardens

Funchal can be proud of several beautiful botanical gardens, including the famous Jardim Botanico, in
which extensive collections of local and exotic plants brought here by Portuguese sailors have been
cultivated since the 18th century. Madeira's year-round warm and humid climate provides the perfect
conditions for tropical plants to thrive in local gardens. The Monte Palace Tropical Garden is considered
the most beautiful garden in Madeira and one of the 13 most beautiful botanical gardens in the world.
The Monte Palace Tropical Garden covers an area of 70,000 square meters and includes extensive
collections of exotic flora from different continents.

The history of the garden dates back to the 18th century, when Charles Murray bought land on Mount
Monte above Funchal and built a garden complex that became known as Quinta do Prazer. He sold it
in 1897 to Alfredo Guilherme Rodrigues, who built a mansion there. The castle was later transformed
into the famous Monte Palace Hotel, which became an extremely popular and sought-after place for
luxury vacations among Portuguese and foreign visitors. After the death of Alfredo, in 1943, his family
decided, to the regret of all loyal customers, to close the hotel and no longer operate it. Later, the
property came into the ownership of the José Berardo Foundation, a private charitable institution that
decided to turn the land into a tropical botanical garden.

Santa Catarina Park

Santa Catharine Park is one of the two large parks in Funchal. It has an area of 3.6 hectares. It is not
only used for walks, but also for holding demonstrations, public holidays, or other various events.

In 1837, the city council of Funchal established cemeteries on the site of today's park based on the
decree of September 21, 1835, which introduced the obligation of municipalities to establish public
cemeteries. The cemetery bearing the name Cemitério de Nossa Senhora das Angústias existed here
until 1939. Then the city cemetery was moved to the São Martinho district, where it remains today. In
1946, the city council bought the adjacent higher parcel. The park was created by joining the two
parcels in 1966.

There are several cultural monuments in the park and its immediate surroundings. In the lower part is
the chapel of St. Catherine from 1425, built on the order of the wife of one of the rediscoverers of
Madeira Zarco. Until 2006, there was a statue of a sower created in 1924 by the Portuguese sculptor
Francisco Franco de Sousa. Since 2008, it has been built in Funchal street near the town hall. In the

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middle of the artificial pond is a statue of Torso of a woman. There is also a statue of Christopher
Columbus in the park. On the edge of the park near the Admiralty building is a statue of Prince Henry
the Navigator. In the rock where the park ends on the port side, there is a statue of a Madeira worker.

Botanical Garden

The Madeira Botanical Garden is an urban botanical garden with an area of 80,000 m2, located in the
capital of the island of Funchal. It maintains a collection of more than 2,500 species of plants.

The idea to establish a botanical garden in Madeira originated as early as the 18th century. In 1881,
the Reid family founded Quinta do Bom Sucesso. On this basis, after being taken over by the local
government, a botanical garden was established and opened to the public on April 30, 1960.

Mercado dos Lavradores

Mercado dos Lavradores is a fruit, vegetable, flower and fish market in Funchal. The building was
designed by Edmundo Tavares and opened on November 24, 1940. The facade, main entrance and fish
market feature traditional Azulejo depicting regional themes executed by João Rodrigues. It is divided
into a number of smaller squares and staircases that serve as sales points.

On the night of December 23rd, it is traditional for locals to gather in the market and the surrounding
streets to sing Christmas carols, dance and drink in the nearby bars that are open. serving traditional
drinks and especially traditional Carne de vinha d'alhos sandwiches throughout the night.

CR7 Museum

Museu CR7 is a museum dedicated to the trophies of the Portuguese soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo.
Above the museum is a hotel, built in collaboration between Ronald and the Pestana Group. The
museum is an official sponsor of the local soccer team União da Madeira. In front of the museum
stands a bronze statue of Cristiano Ronaldo, created by Madeira sculptor Ricardo Velosa.

The museum was inaugurated on 15 December 2013 by Ronaldo's former club Sporting CP. At the
opening, the collection had 126 trophies on display. The original location of the museum was on a 400-
meter space on Rua Imperatriz Dona Amélia in Sé. On March 24, 2016, the bronze statue of Ronaldo
was moved a few meters from its place near Avenida Sá Carneiro. On 6 June 2016, the museum
reopened after moving to a new, larger site on Praça do Mar, also in Sé, occupying 1,400 of space
under the Pestana CR7 Hotel. The official inauguration of the hotel was on 1 July 2016, with Ronaldo
in attendance, along with the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the Presidents of the
Regional Government of Madeira, Miguel Albuquerque, and the President of the Pestana Group,
Dionísio Pestana.

The exhibition includes photographs and videos symbolizing the athlete's career. The museum has all
the youth and professional trophies won by Ronaldo at CF Andorinha, Nacional da Madeira, Sporting
CP, Manchester United and Real Madrid, Juventus FC and the Portuguese national team.

Frederico de Freitas Museum

The museum houses the art collection of Frederica de Freitas (1894-1978), lawyer and notary from
Madeira, who lived in this house for several decades and bequeathed his property to the Autonomous
Region of Madeira.

The current building has been the residence of the Condes da Calçada and their ancestors since the
end of the 17th century. The house was rebuilt in the 19th century. Around 1941, the house was rented
by Frederico de Freitas, a lawyer and notary of the country, who lived there for almost forty years until

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his death in 1978. Freitas was a great collector of decorative arts - furniture, sculpture, paintings,
ceramics, pewter objects. The building was later acquired by the regional office and converted into a
museum. The museum was inaugurated on June 29, 1988. In 1999, the museum's permanent
exhibition reached its current extent.

The furniture dates from the 17th to 19th centuries. The religious theme dominates the sculpture and
painting, and the works are predominantly European. The collection of mugs date from the 18th
century to the present day. Among the engravings, those relating to Madeira from the 18th and 19th
centuries stand out. At Casa dos Azulejos, there are tiles of Oriental, Islamic, Medieval, Majolica, Dutch
and Portuguese origin.

Museu de Fotografia da Madeira – Atelier Vicente’s

The Madeira Photography Museum or Photographia - Vicentes Museum is the oldest existing
photographic studio in Portugal, founded in 1848 by Vicente Gomes da Silva. Since 1982, it has also
been a museum with approximately 800,000 negatives in its collection, not only from the Vicente
collection, but also from other professional photographers (JF Camacho; JA de Sousa; Perestrellos;
Figueiras) and amateurs.

In 2020, the museum was awarded Museum of the Year by the Portuguese Association of Museology.

Madeira Story Centre

The Madeira Story Center is a Portuguese interactive museum that tells the history and culture of the
region. Its historical content ranges from volcanic origins to seaplanes, discoveries and even pirate
attacks. This space also includes a craft shop, restaurants and themed gardens where you can see some
of the plants and flowers typical of the region.

The Madeira Story Center opened its doors to the public for the first time on April 29, 2005. Its facility
in the Old Town of Funchal was the result of the rehabilitation and transformation of the building.
After financial difficulties, it ceased operations on February 13, 2015. During these ten years, this
historic interpretive center received an average of 140,000 visitors per year, of which 98% were
tourists.

Sacred Art Museum

The Museum of Sacred Art in Funchal is located in the Bishop's Palace in Funchal. It consists of
collections of paintings, sculptures, goldsmiths and paramentaria from the 15th to 19th centuries. It
mainly includes early Dutch painting from the 15th and 16th centuries, which reached Madeira in the
16th century during the so-called golden age of sugar production. The Flemish panels are characterized
not only by their high quality, but also by their large dimensions, which are not usual in European
museums. The collection of Flemish sculpture, especially from Mechelen and Antwerp, is also worth
mentioning

Convento de Santa Clara

The Convent of St. Clare in Funchal is a nunnery of the Franciscan order. It was founded at the end of
the 15th century by the captain of the Funchal captaincy, João Gonçalves da Câmara. Construction
began in 1492 and lasted until 1497. The monastery was home to unmarried noblewomen and noble
widows.

Today, the nuns take care of the management of the monastery and its garden. The monastery runs a
kindergarten. The nuns work as guides in the monastery. In the main church of the monastery, in front

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of the main altar, there is a Gothic tomb from the 15th century under a wooden floor. João Gonçalves
Zarco, his wife and their eldest daughter are buried in it.
Sé do Funchal

The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Sé is the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Funchal, which encompasses all of the Autonomous Region of Madeira. The late fifteenth-century
cathedral is one of the few structures that survives virtually intact since the early period of colonization
of Madeira. The patron of the cathedral is Our Lady of the Assumption.

During the 1490s, Manuel I sent the architect Pêro Anese or Gil Anese to work on the design of the
cathedral in Funchal. The cathedral was structurally completed in 1514. However, before its
completion in 1508, when Funchal was elevated to a city, the cathedral was already being used for the
celebration of mass. The belfry tower and several other details were completed in 1517-1518.

Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte

Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte is the main church of the Roman Catholic parish in Monte, built in
1470 by Adão Gonçalves Ferreira. In the left aisle of the church, there is a coffin with the remains of
the last Austrian emperor and the Czech king Charles I.

Forte de Sao Tiago

São Tiago Fort, also known as Fort Santiago, is a fortification located in the historic center of Funchal.
It closes the defensive belt of the city from the east. Between 1992 and October 2015, the Museum of
Contemporary Art in Funchal (MACFenchal) was installed here.

Palácio de Sao Lourenco

The São Lourenço Palace is a palace and fortress located in the parish of Sé, in the historic center of
the city of Funchal, in the autonomous region of Madeira, and is currently the official residence of the
representative of the Republic in this archipelago.

It forms a monumental complex originally with the dual function of fortification and palace, considered
the best and most impressive example of civil and military architecture on the island of Madeira. It
includes the São Lourenço Fort, begun in the first half of the 16th century and completed under the
Philippine Dynasty, and the palace itself, including the main floor halls from the last quarter of the 18th
century and the inner gardens.

Forte Sao José

The fortress stands at one end of the harbor, on a rock formation known as the Ilhéu de São José. It is
accessible by stairs from the pier, along the Pontinha road. The building was little appreciated as a
historical, architectural and cultural heritage of Madeira and Portugal, until recently, when it was
acquired by a private person who sought to revitalize it, claiming that it housed the first fortifications
in Madeira, at the time of its discovery.

Teleférico do Funchal

The Funchal-Monte cable car connects the old town of Funchal with Monte in around 15 minutes, with
panoramic views of the city along the way. It consists of 42 cabins with 8 seats each.

Construction of the Funchal-Monte Cable Car began in September 1999 and was put into operation in
November 2000.

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Monte Toboggan run

The Monte Toboggans originated in the early 19th century as Funchal's first "downhill" form of public
transport. Currently, and for many years, the "Carro de Cesto" is used to transport tourists. These
toboggans are made mostly of wicker and two wooden slides and are driven by two men (carreiros)
wearing white clothes with straw hats and black rubber boots that are used as brakes. All this is
possible with the help of ropes and greased rags to lubricate the wooden rails.

The ride starts under the steps of the Nossa Senhora do Monte church. It is a fairly quick 2km ride on
steep and winding roads that will take you to your destination, Livrament, a suburb.

The Santa Maria Flagship

Historic cruise on the "Santa Maria", a life-size replica of the original flagship that Christopher
Columbus sailed on his expedition to America in 1492 and which was also used to explore the Madeira
Islands (Madeira and Porto Santo).

Carnival in Madeira

Carnival is a popular annual week-long event celebrated on the island of Madeira. During this time of
year, the streets of Funchal explode with colour, sound, imagination and creativity.

On Saturday, in a big allegorical parade, numerous cheerful and colorful groups with original costumes
will gather to dance and smile. Each year, this parade is assigned an original overall theme. The mood
is reminiscent of the Rio Carnival. On Shrove Tuesday, locals gather to take part in such a fun parade.

The Madeira Flower Festival

The Flower Festival is undoubtedly one of the highlights of Madeira Island. Every year, the capital of
Funchal is decorated with thousands of blooming and fragrant local flowers.

Sugar Cane

During the harvest season, the sugar factory operates every day, 24 hours a day, throughout the
month. In the factory, watch workers turn sugar cane into honey and rum.

The Atlantic Festival and Jazz Festival

Classical music and jazz in an elegant setting with many great artists. During the month of June, various
concerts are held in many places such as the Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias, churches, the concert is
held at the Teatro Municipal Baltazar Dias, churches and the Casa das Mudas Cultural Center in
Calheta.

Every Saturday evening during the month of June, the Bay of Funchal is lit up with a spectacle of
fireworks and music, where four pyrotechnic companies from different countries compete against
each other.

The Wine Festival

The celebration of the grape harvest season begins at the end of August. The grapes are carefully
picked by hand to later be transformed into Madeiran wine. From the 26th of August to the 2nd of
September, you will find traditional music, folklore, ethnic food and of course lots of wine in the streets
of Funchal.

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Christmas in Madeira Island

Christmas time on the island of Madeira is a festival of lights, colors, sounds and smells. From Funchal
to the most remote villages on the island, locals have been working together since November to
prepare for the most festive time of the year. The center of Funchal is full of people, folk presentations,
concerts, food and drink stalls and nativity scenes.

December 23rd is market night where the "Mercado dos Lavradores" and the streets surrounding the
market turn into one huge street party. Thousands of people gather at night, some to buy food for
Christmas feasts, others to meet friends. Christmas celebrations on the island of Madeira begin at the
beginning of December and end on January 6.

5. Conclusion
The aim of this seminar work was to present the tourist and cultural attractions of the city of Funchal.
After processing it, we can say that this city is very attractive and has a lot to offer its visitors. It can be
expected that more and more tourists will visit this place in the future, as it has very good conditions
for tourism.

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6. Sources
• https://www.planetware.com/tourist-attractions-/funchal-p-mad-
funch.htm?fbclid=IwAR1riTtwKnr7r9N7g5L_UqmHCOPsveAFpDB_oRTKOvlOxnXYFlP3B26rZ-w
• http://katkacestuje.cz/2017/05/madeira-botanicka-zahrada-monte-palace-funcha.html
• https://www.madeira-a-z.com/what-to-see/best-of-madeira.html
• https://www.feelingmadeira.pt/history-of-madeira-and-funchal
• https://www.cestujlevne.com/pruvodce/portugalsko/madeira/funchal
• https://www.madeiran.cz/o-madeire/madeira/
• https://dertouristik-reiseleitung.com/cs/madeira/infos-a-z/orte/funchal/
• https://www.getyourguide.com/
• https://fullsuitcase.com/funchal-things-to-do/
• https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g189167-Activities-
Funchal_Madeira_Madeira_Islands.html
• https://www.lonelyplanet.com/portugal/funchal/attractions
• https://www.packthesuitcases.com/things-to-do-in-funchal-madeira-portugal/
• https://gotoportugal.eu/en/funchal-madeira/

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