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Madeira - Culture |
Madeira museums keep abundant and precious artistic masterpieces of that period and Madeira people have proud of "Museu de Arte Sacra in Funchal". It has one of the most representative world collections of Flemish paintings, proceeding from Bruges, Antwerp and Malines. There are also still notable architectonic evidences, such as at Funchal Cathedral; the Church and Convent of Santa Clara; the Churches of Calheta, Santa Cruz and Machico; the Chapels of Reis Magos, Encarnacao and Corpo Santo. There are also some remains of Old Customhouse and Manueline windows kept at Quinta das Cruzes.
However, since the last decade of the 16th century, the exportation of sugar suffered a great resection. This resection was determined by the break of soil productivity, diseases that contaminated the canebrakes and, above all, due to the competitive sugar brought from Brazil, where Madeira people had introduced techniques and specialised hand labour. Thus, during a great period of the 17th century, Madeira Archipelago suffered a social and economical crisis. However, Funchal port kept the commercial trade to Africa, America and India. It also had importance with the exportation of pastry, the famous "casquinha" done from lemon, cider and other candied fruit in a fusing of sugar. In 1580 Portugal and Madeira became under the domain of Castille. However, in 1640, the independence was restored, followed by the marriage of our Infant D. Catarina de Braganca with Charles II of England.
It was then granted several contracts with British people who favoured the exportation of Madeira Wine to England, Occidental India and British colonies in America. Since the last decade of the 17th century, Madeira knew a new period of economical and cultural increasing, being its excellent wine responsible for the fame of the Island all over the world. Quickly the production achieved 45.000 wine barrels, from which annually were exported a medium of 30.000. This prosperity called vineyard cycle had its reflections at arts and architecture. |
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The Madeira embroidery is a souvenir searched by the
visitors, both by its beauty and its perfection. We can find it under several forms that
go from tablecloths to delicate handkerchiefs. We can not assure when one began to do it
in Madeira. However, we estimate that it has begun in the beginning of the 19th century
due to the British influence. In June 1850, Madeira embroidery appeared as a novelty to
the public in Madeira Industry Exhibit. It had its first presence in a foreign country a
year later, when Madeira was represented in a several industries exhibition in London, by
invitation of Queen Victory. Miss Phelps, the daughter of a British businessman, who lived
in Funchal, gave the great impulse of the embroidery industry. Around 1860, the embroidery
was a real industry. All around the island we could count with thousand of embroideresses.
Only twenty years later, it arrived in Germany and then German’s trade men came here to
do their business. In 1900, began the industrialisation with the destiny to America’s
done by the Syrian who were settled there. EMBROIDERY INFLUENCES Madeira embroidery
suffered some influences; not only from British, Milan, Burano and Burge lace-trim, but
also from the renaissance, Richelieu and Venetian lace-trimmed. This influence contributed
to another type of Madeira embroidery, very similar to a heavy, richer and more decorative
lace-trim. The oldest Madeira embroidery is characterised by embroidery in garland, sewed,
range of eyelets, "garanitos" (small relieves), rosettes, stars,
"viuvas" and "cavacas" that were employed at sheets, hand towels,
dresses, shirts, night-shirts and handkerchiefs. 
The Cathedral is
the most impressive of all the religious edifices in Madeira. Constructed at the end of
the 15th Century in Gothic-Manueline style, the exterior is simple but imposing. Rough
white stucco contrasts with a facade of brownish-red basalt, and the Gothic portal is
especially notable for the coat of arms that crowns the pinnacle of the arch. The
pyramidal spire of the belfry is roofed with blue and white tiles (“azulejos”) and the
rear base of the tower is architecturally very valuable, supported by helicord columns of
the red-brown basalt. In the interior, a ceiling in geometric, Hispano-Arabic style of
carved cedar inlaid with ivory is outstanding. The paintings on the High Altar are by
Portuguese and Flemish artists, and the canonical stalls in the chancel are of exquisitely
carved wood.
The Chapel of the
Holy Body ( Capela do Corpo Santo) In the Old part of the Capital, the Chapel of Corpo
Santo is a typical example of what may be termed as understated architecture. It was built
in honour of the patron saint and protector for fishermen: Saint Peter. The structure was
thus conceived by the medieval Guild of Fishermen at the close of the 15th Century. It’s
altar, however, dates to the 17th Century.
