Monte Church near Funchal in Madeira

The present day Monte Church which overlooks Madeira's capital, Funchal, dates from 1818.

It stands on the spot where an original chapel was built by the first two children to be born on Madeira island.

It is a popular tourist attraction and it has many other places and things of interest nearby. Including the Monte Toboggans and Monte Palace Tropical Gardens.

Monte church itself displays some ornate religious artwork and decoration.

This is also the location of the tomb of Charles I, Karl von Habsburg-Lothringen, the last Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

History and Origins of Monte Church

Gonçalo Aires Ferreira, who had accompanied João Gonçalves Zarco on his voyage when Madeira was discovered in 1420, was the father of the first children to be born on Madeira. The children, twins, were born in 1425 and were appropriately named Adam and Eve.

In 1470, a small chapel was built by the twins on a ridge in the mountainside rising behind Funchal. It is believed that this chapel served a small community that was farming the surrounding land.

Initially called the chapel of Our Lady of the Incarnation, it was reassigned as Our Lady of the Mount some 90 years later.

Legend states that the later name for the chapel was adopted after an apparition of the Virgin Mary appeared.

The daughter of a local shepherd had gone to drink from a spring that emerged from the hillside near to the chapel. It was here that the apparition of the Virgin Mary appeared on a rock face.

Today a small shrine - that includes a water fountain - stands in the Largo da Fonte where the apparition was said to have appeared.

The precious slab of rock face that portrayed the image of the Blessed Virgin is thought to have been buried in the Ribeiro de Nossa Senhora in 1896.

This small chapel seems to have existed until 1741 when it was decided to replace it by a new, more substantial church. The new church, standing on the site of the original chapel, was completed in 1747.

Just one year later, on 1st April 1748, an earthquake demolished much of this new church and so extensive repairs and rebuilding had to be undertaken.

The restoration was finalised in 1818, and the white facade, twin towered church is what we see today.

Patron Saint of Madeira

Our Lady of the Mount, or Nossa Senhora do Monte, has been the Patron Saint of Madeira since 1803.

It was during the terrifying flooding that took place on the 9th October of that year that prayers were offered to Blessed Virgin.

Despite the fact that many houses in Funchal were demolished by the weight of the water, and between 600 and 1,000 people killed, the prayers were believed to have mitigated the worst effects of the flooding.

Indeed, many people who had been washed out to sea were reportedly rescued by a passing passenger ship

Since then, Nossa Senhora do Monte has not only been the Patron Saint of Madeira, but has also been held in esteem by those inhabitants who earned their living on the sea.

In 1854, Lady Emmiline Stuart Wortley wrote:
The double-domed church of Nossa Senhora do Monte on the heights above, in the rear of the town, is a very conspicuous object. It rises out of a rich deep wood of chestnut trees.

Nossa Senhora do Monte is looked up to with the most affectionate veneration by all the Roman Catholic mariners. She is considered a sure protectress in all cases of watery peril; and many miraculous interpositions of hers, under circumstances of appalling danger, are recounted seriously and devoutly believed.

Madeira Features

Funchal's Gate Varadouro

The Old City Gate was originally constructed in 1689 as part of Funchal's fortifications.

That Funchal needed protection from pirates and foreign aggression was in little doubt. The city was often attacked by marauding forces from passing ships.

Finally, the fortification became largely redundant in the late nineteenth century and the gate Varadouro was eventually dismantled in 1911. Fortunately, key aspects of the gate and its design were preserved. Then, in 2004, to contribute to the city's 500th anniversary celebrations, Funchal's Gate Varadouro was rebuilt in its original location.

Funchal Hospital

The Hospital Cruz de Carvalho serves Funchal and its surrounds and it is situated on the Avenida Luis de Camoes.

It operates a 24 hour Accident and Emergency Department.

So, if you are suddenly taken ill during your stay in Funchal, just get a taxi to convey you to the A&E department - but remember to take your passport and your EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) with you.

Relatives and friends accompanying you are likely to be requested to wait separately. However, whenever we have had need to call on the service, we have always found it to be both efficient and professional.