Madeira
September 18, 2023
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On Day 3, I toured inside the 15th century Sé Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Assunção, the Funchal Cathedral and a few other locations in Funchal, until getting in line to take
the cable car up the mountainside in Funchal to visit the parish of Monte, a suburb of Funchal high up towards the tree line.
The three main attractions in Monte are first, the Monte Palace, originally a residence of the English consul Charles Murray, located on a 70,000 m2 property south of the Monte Church.
In 1897, it was bought by Alfredo Guilherme Rodrigues, who built a palatial residence here, and transformed into a hotel named the Monte Palace Hotel.
The second attraction is the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte, the Church of Our Lady of the Mount. In 1470 a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Incarnation was built on this mount
location by Adão Gonçalves Ferreira, the first man born in Madeira island. In 1741, the first stone of the current Church dedicated to Our Lady of the Mount was laid.
A few months after the church was completed, the Church was seriously affected by an earthquake in 1748. It was rebuilt and by the end of 1818 the new church was finally consecrated.
Emperor Charles I of Austria died in exile on Madeira Island and was laid to rest in the church.
The third and probably most famous, most touristy and quite expensive is the wicker tobaggan rides (over $50 for a single person plus tip, about $90 for a couple plus tip, for a 2 km, 10 minute ride) that starts at the base of the church and ends
in Livramento, a suburb of Funchal, where you can walk down the hill or take a taxi back into Funchal or up to the cable car station in Monte.
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Above: The fountains in the Rotunda Do Infante in Funchal.
1 and 2 show the quite nice breakfast at the Enotel Magnolia Hotel and sunrise.
3 and 4 show the old Jardim do Hospicio Princesa Dona Maria Amelia off of Avenida do Infante, opposite the Santa Caterina Park.
5 to 7 the fountains and flora in Jardim Municipal do Funchal.
9 to 11 show the exterior and interior of the Funchal Cathedral, Sé Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Assunção (Our Lady of the Assumption).
During the 1490s, King Manuel I of Portugal had the Cathedral started, and it was structurally complete in 1514, although Mass was already celebrated in the cathedral
starting in 1508.
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