Religious Art Museum of Funchal
Housed in the former Bishop’s Palace, the Museum of Sacred Art of Funchal allows you to enjoy gorgeous collections of paintings, sculpture, jewelry and ceremonial robes from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries.
Of particular importance among the Museum’s fabulous holdings are the Flemish paintings of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries that came to Madeira during the heyday of the sugar trade in the sixteenth century. The Flemish panels are distinguished by their high quality and unusually large dimensions. Another highlight is the collection of Flemish sculpture, especially from Mechelen and Antwerp.
Portuguese painting is also well represented. A few highlights are the sixteenth century Ecce Homo and the Ascension of Christattributed to Fernão Gomes. The jewelry collection encompasses the sixteenth, seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. Notable works are the fifteenth century processional cross of Água de Pena, a sixteenth-century tray and embossed chalice from Antwerp, as well as the processional cross, presented by King D. Manuel I to the Funchal Cathedral (Sé).
Many of the ceremonial robes are embroidered with gold and various hues such as the great chasuble with gold embroidery over lamé from the Funchal Cathedral.
The Museum has a strong educational mission with dedicated technicians helping support services geared towards various types of public such as children, students, seniors, and visitors with special needs. Aside from a store, the Museum also features a cafeteria for visitors.