Donativo
A tax on the produce of the land imposed under Spanish rule in 1635 and regularised in 1658 to fund Madeira's annual contribution of 200,000 cruzados to the War of Restoration of Portuguese independence.
A tax levied on the produce of the land, introduced under Philippine rule (Spanish Habsburg rule over Portugal, 1580–1640) in 1635. It was difficult to collect, despite having a superintendent and assessors, and was only regularised in 1658. In a patriotic appeal, the captain-general (capitão-general, military governor of Madeira) of Madeira assembled the councils of the towns, representatives of the settlements, magistrates (ouvidores) and judges in the Senate (senado, the municipal council) of Funchal, so that they might propose the least burdensome way of paying it, for the annual donativo (nominally a ‘gift’ to the Crown; a compulsory war levy) with which Madeira was to contribute to the expenses of the War of Independence amounted to 200,000 cruzados. The tax was thus laid down as follows:
- One maquia (miller’s toll: the share of grain kept by the miller as his fee) per alqueire (dry measure for grain; as a land measure c. 900 m²) of grain taken to the mills, just as is paid to the donataries
- 4 réis (old Portuguese money of account; 1$000 = 1,000 réis, 1:000$000 = one conto = 1,000,000 réis) per canada (liquid measure, c. 1.4 litres) of wine sold
- 200 réis per pipa (wine cask and measure, c. 400–500 litres), payable by the owner of the wine
- 100 réis for each hide shipped abroad
- 200 réis per dozen planks of planking shipped abroad
- 1,000 réis per moio (dry measure of grain, 60 alqueires) of wheat shipped abroad
- 400 réis per quintal (old weight of four arrobas, c. 59 kg) of iron
- 300 réis per pipa of vinegar or beberagem
- 400 réis per pipa of wine
- 2 cruzados per pipa of spirit (aguardente, distilled from sugar cane or wine).
The island of Porto Santo (‘holy harbour’) was to contribute to the said levy in money, since it had neither wines nor mills. The last enactment concerning the donativo is dated 1691. S.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 03-
The donativo war tax on the produce of the land was imposed in Madeira under Spanish rule, and is mentioned in municipal records until 1691.
-
The captain-general assembled Madeira's councils in Funchal to regularise payment of the donativo for the War of Restoration.
-
The last legal instrument concerning the donativo was issued.
Place
Places mentioned · 03
- Funchal
Its senate hosted the 1658 assembly that settled how the donativo would be paid.
The capital of the archipelago and seat of the principal captaincy, where settlement began; it was made a vila c.1451–52. Its bay, the widest in the archipelago, lies between Ponta do Garajau and Ponta da Cruz and offers sheltered anchorage, though its harbour had never been studied oceanographically. The Elucidário discusses it as a health resort with climate data and records the January 1906 disturbances, the Danish prince's visit in May 1846 and recent volcanic cones in the area.
- Porto Santo
Required to contribute in money, having neither wine nor mills.
An island of the archipelago, settled alongside Madeira and forming one of the three captaincies. It has always constituted a single parish, dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Piedade, whose church was repeatedly sacked. The Elucidário records the Moorish pirate raid of 1617, its own Misericórdia and a rainwater channel built on this drought-prone island.