Fortifications

The seats of Madeira’s two captaincies, Funchal and Machico, were important centres of trade and shipping from the very beginning, with Funchal predominating thanks to its spacious harbour. João Gonçalves da Câmara, 2nd donatary of Funchal, knew of the damage the Moors were doing to merchant ships on the high seas and feared an attack on the flourishing town (vila). He therefore asked the Infanta Dona Beatriz, guardian of her son Diogo, Duke of Viseu, and administrator of the mastership of the Order of Christ, to have a fortress built to defend the harbour. The Infanta, however, pleading the heavy expenses already incurred, kept postponing the work.

Manuel I, while still duke, arranged for a wall to be built around the town of Funchal, promising that once it was finished a similar fortification would be undertaken in the town of Machico. Considering the costs this would entail, however, he gradually reduced his plan to a single bastion in Funchal. This was to be paid for by an increase in the sugar tax, reckoned at 1,266,000 réis a year – a large sum at that time – together with one day of compulsory labour, from which only the nobility were exempt.

Work on the fortifications began only in the reign of Manuel I, with the bastion and tower being started. The new contributions levied in the reign of John III, especially the meat levy (imposição das carnes), gave it fresh impetus. The defence plan was later modified in 1572. It ordered that a fortress with three bastions be built, that the houses standing in its way be demolished, and that the balconies on the frontage facing the pebble beach (calhau) be cut back. There the city walls were to be built with five gates: two to the south, facing the sea, one to the east and two to the west. The walls were to run between the Ribeira de João Gomes and the Ribeira de São Francisco (today the Ribeira de São João), abutting on the hills of Pena (‘crag’) and Pico dos Frias (‘the Frias’ peak’).

The corsair attack on the city in 1566, made by way of Praia Formosa (‘beautiful beach’), turned attention to the defence of the coast. Entrenchments were built at points commanding the sea, on the rocks overlooking the settlements; these were called fortes roqueiros (rock forts) and were placed under the watch and supervision of the captain-corporals, ‘& os portos se empossebillytaram asy & da maneyra que se fez de camara dellobos atee a cidade’ (and the landing places were made impassable in this way and manner, as was done from Câmara de Lobos to the city).

Under Philippine rule (Spanish Habsburg rule over Portugal, 1580–1640) the rules of defence were changed to follow the polygonal layout. The forts of São Tiago (St James the Greater), São Felipe, Loures and Our Lady of the Peña de Francia were completed, and work began on the Fortress of the Pico (‘peak’) in Funchal, on São Roque in Machico and on the Castelo do Pico (‘castle of the peak’) on the island of Porto Santo (‘holy harbour’).

During the period of the Restoration and in the 17th century, the redoubt of Santo António da Alfândega, Santa Catarina and the Fortress of Nossa Senhora da Conceição do Ilhéu (‘Our Lady of the Conception of the Islet’) were built, and the city walls were extended eastwards to meet the fortress of São Tiago.

In the 18th century the forts of São Pedro and São José da Pontinha (St Joseph) were built in Funchal. Along the coast as far as Câmara de Lobos came those of Gorgulho, Engenhoca, Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, Praia Formosa, Nossa Senhora da Vitória and Pastel, and São Sebastião in Câmara de Lobos. There followed the fort of São Bento in Ribeira Brava (‘wild river’); those of Madalena do Mar, Ponta do Sol and Calheta; the fortress of Santo António in Paul do Mar (‘marsh by the sea’); the fort of Porto Moniz (‘Moniz’s harbour’); that of Faial, that of Entroza in Boaventura (‘good fortune’), that of Terrachã in São Vicente, that of São Jorge and that of Arco de São Jorge; that of Porto da Cruz (‘harbour of the cross’); the redoubt of Caniçal (‘reed bed’); the forts of São João Baptista and Our Lady of Protection (Nossa Senhora do Amparo) in Machico; those of São Francisco, São Lázaro and Our Lady of Grace (Nossa Senhora da Graça) in Santa Cruz (‘Holy Cross’); the small fort at the mouth of the Ribeira do Porto Novo (‘new harbour stream’); that of Reis Magos and that of the Ribeira do Caniço (‘Caniço stream’); and the fort of São José on the island of Porto Santo.

In the 19th century the battery of Fontes (‘springs’), opposite São Lourenço, the redoubt of Seixo (‘pebble’) in Água de Pena, the Fort of Porto Novo (‘new harbour’) in Caniço (‘reed’) and the redoubt of Pico de São João were built.

Finally, in 1916 the Quinta Vigia (‘lookout estate’) battery was built, and in 1917 that of Montanha (‘mountain’), to defend the city against submarines.