Museu de Arte Sacra do Funchal

"The Funchal Museum of Sacred Art is housed in the former Episcopal Palace, founded by D. Luís Figueiredo de Lemos in 1594. It was designed by Jerónimo Jorge, a royal master builder who worked here on the defences of the city of Funchal. A section to the west of the original building still survives, overlooking the current Praça do Município and Rua do Bispo. The sobriety of the Mannerist style is clearly visible in the northern arcade and in the Chapel of São Luís de Toulosa, which has an inscription on its façade with the name of its founder, D. Luís de Figueiredo Lemos, and the date 1600. D. António Teles da Silva, Bishop of Funchal, carried out further improvements between 1675-1682. After the 1748 earthquake, major reconstruction work was carried out, as it had been badly damaged. The new project for the Episcopal Palace was entrusted to Domingos Rodrigues Martins. The ensemble is then harmonized by a central block, with the inscription above the main portal from 1750. From 1910 to 1950, the Episcopal Palace would function as the Funchal High School, and was later once again adapted as a Museum. With the visit of the curator of the Ajuda Palace, Manuel Cayola Zagallo, awareness began to become more consistent of the importance of the Flemish Art collection spread across the churches and chapels of the Diocese of Funchal. With the unequivocal support of the Bishop of Funchal, D. António Pereira Ribeiro, and of the public entities of the time, the works identified were sent to Lisbon for restoration. After important conservation and restoration work by Fernando Mardel, the paintings were exhibited in Lisbon at the National Museum of Ancient Art in 1949. They would later become part of the Museum of Sacred Art in Funchal, which opened in 1955. Other works were added to this collection, especially of Goldsmithing, Vestments and Sculpture, mostly from Portuguese workshops, which were found, in many cases no longer in use and in a poor state of conservation, in many churches in the Diocese, and which became part of the Museum's collections."

"🇬🇧 Sacred Art Museum of Funchal Housed in a former bishop’s palace, the Sacred Art Museum of Funchal showcases a rich collection of religious artifacts dating from the 15th to the 19th century. The museum is renowned for its exquisite Flemish paintings, intricate goldsmithing, and sacred sculptures that highlight Madeira’s religious history and artistic heritage. A visit offers a deep dive into the island’s spiritual and cultural past. 🇩🇪 Sacred Art Museum of Funchal Das Museum für Sakrale Kunst in Funchal, untergebracht in einem ehemaligen Bischofspalast, beherbergt eine umfangreiche Sammlung religiöser Kunstwerke aus dem 15. bis 19. Jahrhundert. Berühmt für seine flämischen Gemälde, kunstvolle Goldschmiedearbeiten und sakralen Skulpturen, bietet das Museum einen faszinierenden Einblick in die religiöse und künstlerische Geschichte Madeiras. Ein Besuch ist eine Reise in die spirituelle und kulturelle Vergangenheit der Insel."