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Nowadays it is general opinion that in 1419, under the orders of the Glorious
Henry "The Navigator", Madeira Archipelago, that was already mentioned in 1350
at Libro del Conoscimento and represented on Italian and Catalan maps from the 14th
century, was rediscovered by João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira. The kingdom
had a constant lack of cereals, so they wanted to provide it with it and also be
supportive to the maritime expansion of Portugal.
Thus, since the 15th century, Madeira has played an important role on
the great Portuguese Discoveries. It became also famous for the rich trade routes between
Funchal and the entire Atlantic World.
It was also in Madeira and Porto Santo that the merchant Cristovão Colombo
increased his knowledge of the art of navigation and planned his famous voyage to
America.
In 1425, after the division of the Archipelago into captaincies of Funchal,
Machico and Porto Santo began the organised settlement. During some decades, cereal
production was a factor of richness and development. At that time, Madeira had about 150
big farms that produced more than 3.000 m³ of wheat, being great part exported to the
Mainland and to the Portuguese trading post of the Saccharine and Guinea
Littoral.
However, since the last decade of the 15th century, the kingdom and
the island governors began dedicating, above all, to the culture of sugar cane and to the
exportation of the "white gold" to all Europe. Slaves, who were brought from
African trading posts, were used to work at cane brake and sugar mill.
The Madeira Diogo Teives invented the first mechanical sugar mill moved by
water. This invention determinated a great increase of production, which in 1506 reached
3.500 tones.
Madeira had its greatest economical and cultural development during this period
and became known all over the civilised World.
Still today, our 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, Encarnação 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
Bragança 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.
It was constructed the typical residences of the 17th and 18th
centuries, with its stonework "bull’s-eye" window, balconies made with
wrought iron, towers, belvederes, balconies and wine press at the ground floor. There is
still beautiful examples at Rua dos Ferreiros, do Bispo, de Santa Maria and at some villas
on the surroundings of Funchal.
At the same time, we can see the preference of the Baroque and its carved work
upon the Flemish and Mudejar art, in churches, chapels and manor houses. We have chosen as
examples the churches of S. Pedro and the fascinating of Colégio at Funchal.
However, since the beginning of the 19th century first decade,
Madeira Archipelago recognised once again another economical resection, due to the end of
the napoleon wars and the subsequent peace restoration in Europe.
Some habits of the British were modified who began drinking Xerez and Porto
Wine, because of the diseases at the Madeira vineyards (philoxera and oidium).
With the victory of liberal ideas against
absolutism, the new Madeira
authorities made economical reformations to fight against the crisis and began
constructing the wonderful "levadas" (water canals) of Rabaçal,
Juncal, Furado,
Feijã dos Vinháticos.
With the irrigation increase, cereal production and other food products
increased and Madeira people became, once again, developing canebrake plantation and
increasing sugar and banana exportation.
At that time, began their development of the production and exportation of the
famous Madeira embroideries and of the typical wickerwork and baskets.
Finally, tourism industry also increased, at first, through the Therapeutic
Tourism. In fact, since the middle of the 19th century, a number of English and
German doctors recommended Madeira mild climate as a possible cure to pulmonary
diseases.
A lot of people came to Madeira Archipelago.
In this century, with the airport construction, port enlargement and road
construction connecting all regions, industrial tourism developed. Today Madeira is known
all over the world by the diversity of its splendours beauty, splendid climate and above
all, by the excellent quality of touristic services and population kindness.
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