Parishes 1Origins of the first parishes
Parishes
Original title: Freguesias
Account of the origins of the parishes of Madeira, from the first Franciscan chaplaincies in Funchal and the parish of Nossa Senhora do Calhau to the early rural parishes, followed by a complete list of parishes by municipality.
1Origins of the first parishes
The Franciscan friars who accompanied João Gonçalves Zarco when he began the settlement and colonisation of Funchal were the first priests to perform ecclesiastical and parochial duties on this island, in the chapels of St Catherine, São Paulo (St Paul the Apostle), Our Lady of Calhau (Nossa Senhora do Calhau), Conceição de Cima, São Sebastião (St Sebastian), São João, etc. The first parish (freguesia) to be created was undoubtedly in Funchal, but it is difficult today to determine precisely where its first seat was. It is probable that the seat was not always the same, and even that parish duties were performed in more than one chapel at the same time. The annotator of the Saudades says that the first parish was perhaps established in the chapel of São Sebastião, but this is no more than a simple conjecture. Dr Álvaro de Azevedo asserts that the first church built in Funchal was that of São Sebastião, which seems to us not to be true, as we shall see elsewhere, and from this he deduces that the first parish was probably created in that chapel. The discoverer João Gonçalves Zarco first set up his residence on the height of Santa Catarina (‘St Catherine’) and later at São Paulo. It is certain, however, that the first and most important nucleus of population grew up not far from the beach, along the left bank of the stream that later came to be called Ribeira de João Gomes. It is therefore more likely that the seat of the first parish was established there, at least once the parish took on a more permanent character and a more definite organisation.
The original chapel of Our Lady of Calhau dates from the second quarter of the 15th century, having been built around 1438. The creation of the parish that had its first seat there must date from this time or shortly afterwards.
The Order of Christ, ever jealous of its privileges and prerogatives, feared that the Franciscan friars would claim for themselves the rights that belonged to the Order by the grant of spiritual jurisdiction over this archipelago that had been made to it. It therefore sent to this island a qualified member of the Order, Friar Nuno Cão (see that entry), to oversee all religious services and to uphold the rights and exemptions that King Duarte had granted to the Order by the royal letter (carta régia) of 26 September 1433. Friar Nuno Cão took charge of the parish of Our Lady of Calhau. When the parish moved its seat in 1508 to the church that later became the cathedral, he remained parish priest until 1514, when he was appointed dean on the creation of the diocese.
The first parish, both while its seat was at the church of Our Lady of Calhau and after it was transferred to the Igreja Grande, covered a very large area, and new parishes were gradually carved out of it, as happened in many other parts of the island. Around 1558 Funchal was divided into two parishes, with their seats in the churches of the Cathedral (Sé Catedral) and of Our Lady of Calhau. By then the chapels of São Martinho, Santo António, São Roque, Nossa Senhora do Monte and Nossa Senhora das Neves each formed a centre of population and constituted “settled farmsteads” (fazendas povoadas) of some importance. They were soon turned into autonomous parishes or curacies and became the seats of new parishes. The parish of São Pedro (‘St Peter’) had been created in 1566, but it was short-lived: it was abolished in 1579 and restored again in 1589.
Outside Funchal, Câmara de Lobos (‘seals’ den’) seems to have been the first parish created, in the year 1430, followed perhaps at the same time or shortly afterwards by that of Calheta (‘small cove’). Both are considered older than Machico, even though Machico was the seat of a captaincy. Around 1440 the parishes of Ribeira Brava (‘wild river’) and Caniço (‘reed’) were created, and after them those of Ponta do Sol (‘point of the sun’) and Santa Cruz (‘Holy Cross’). New parishes were carved out of all of these as the population spread out and climbed the mountains and ridges of the interior.
2List of parishes by municipality
We devote a separate article to each of the parishes of this archipelago, giving a brief account of the facts of greatest interest to its history.
There follows the complete list of all the parishes.
- Municipality (concelho) of Funchal: Sé, São Pedro, Santa Maria Maior and Santa Luzia (urban parishes); São Martinho, Santo António, São Roque, Nossa Senhora do Monte and São Gonçalo (suburban parishes).
- Municipality of Câmara de Lobos: Câmara de Lobos, Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, Quinta Grande and Curral das Freiras.
- Municipality of Ribeira Brava: Ribeira Brava, Campanário, Serra de Água and Tabua.
- Municipality of Ponta do Sol: Ponta do Sol, Canhas and Madalena do Mar.
- Municipality of Calheta: Calheta, Arco da Calheta, Estreito da Calheta, Prazeres, Jardim do Mar, Paul do Mar, Fajã da Ovelha and Ponta do Pargo.
- Municipality of Porto Moniz: Porto Moniz, Achadas da Cruz, Ribeira da Janela and Seixal.
- Municipality of São Vicente: São Vicente, Ponta Delgada and Boaventura.
- Municipality of Sant’Ana: Sant’Ana, São Jorge, Arco de São Jorge, Faial and São Roque do Faial.
- Municipality of Machico: Machico, Porto da Cruz, Caniçal, Santo António da Serra (part) and Água de Pena (part).
- Municipality of Santa Cruz: Santa Cruz, Água de Pena (part), Santo António da Serra (part), Gaula, Camacha and Caniço.
- Municipality and island of Porto Santo: a single parish, Porto Santo.
Of these municipalities, Porto Moniz, São Vicente and Sant’Ana lie on the north coast of Madeira and the rest on the south coast, apart from that of Porto Santo, which lies on the island of the same name.
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 10-
The parish of Câmara de Lobos, apparently the first outside Funchal, was created with its seat in the Espírito Santo chapel.
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King Duarte granted the archipelago to Prince Henry, requiring the kingdom's coin to circulate, and its spiritual jurisdiction to the Order of Christ.
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The church of Nossa Senhora do Calhau was built and became seat of Santa Maria Maior, Funchal's first parish.
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The parishes of Ribeira Brava and Caniço were reportedly created.
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Bishop D. João Lobo blessed the unfinished Igreja Grande of Funchal, later the cathedral, and the parish seat moved there.
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Pope Leo X's bull Pro excellenti praeeminentia created the diocese of Funchal, ending the Order of Christ's spiritual supremacy; the church became a cathedral, D. Diogo Pinheiro was named first bishop and Frei Nuno Cão first dean.
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A royal charter divided Funchal's single parish into the Sé and Santa Maria Maior (Calhau) parishes and created a collegiate body for the church.
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A charter of King Sebastião created the parish of São Pedro in Funchal, seated in the São Paulo chapel, ending Franciscan service there (20 July according to the Provedoria index).
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A royal charter of the Cardinal-King abolished the Funchal parish of São Pedro and authorised Bishop Jerónimo Barreto to create the parishes of São Roque and São Martinho.
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The parish of São Pedro in Funchal was restored.
Place
Places mentioned · 21
- Água de Pena
Machico. Parish divided between Machico and Santa Cruz.
Água de Pena is a parish between Santa Cruz and Machico, divided between the two municipalities, whose Porto do Seixo was visited by Zarco's discoverers in 1419. It was suppressed in 1836 and restored in 1848, is irrigated by the Juncal levada, and contains Bemposta, Cardais and Queimada.
- Calheta
Among the earliest parishes.
Calheta is a town, parish and municipality on Madeira's south-west coast and one of the island's oldest settlements. The Elucidário covers its name, early settlers such as Pedro Berenguer, its church and many chapels, including one of a former Franciscan convent, and the 1834 riot.
- Câmara de Lobos
Apparently the first parish outside Funchal, 1430.
Parish west of Funchal. The Elucidário traces its name to Zarco's discovery voyage and describes its churches, chapels and collegiate chapter, early settlers, fishing community and renowned vineyards. It also records the parish's localities, boundaries, levadas and population.
- Caniço
Santa Cruz. Parish created about 1440.
Caniço is a parish in the municipality of Santa Cruz, lying on the boundary between the captaincies of Funchal and Machico. Its early settlers included Gaspar Rego, Vasco Fernandes Rego and Álvaro de Ornelas, whose family founded morgados there; its alcaide and judge were appointed by the Funchal senate. The parish includes the Garajau statue, the Jesuits' Socorro residence and the Quinta do Barão da Conceição.
- Chapel of St Catherine
Funchal. Early chapel served by Franciscans and Zargo's first residence site.
The Capela de Santa Catarina in Funchal was founded about 1425 by Constança Rodrigues de Almeida, wife of João Gonçalves Zarco, beside his first wooden house. It is regarded as the first church on Madeira, with the date 1425 on its portal, and had an adjoining almshouse for poor women. The Convento de São Francisco was built opposite it.
- Chapel of St Paul
Funchal. Early chapel and later residence of Zargo.
A chapel in Funchal built by Zargo near his stone house, from which the parish of São Pedro originated and which was its first seat. The first hospital was built beside it, about 1469. It gives its name to the square, lane and locality of São Paulo.
- Chapel of St Sebastian
Ponta do Sol. Chapel conjectured by some to have been the first parish seat.
The Capela de São Sebastião is an old chapel in Funchal, conjectured by some to have been the first seat of Funchal's parish around 1430. It was served early by Franciscans, and the Jesuits' first lodging and classes adjoined it. A chapel of the same name in Vila belonging to the municipal council is also recorded.
- Church of Our Lady of Calhau
Funchal. Chapel built c.1438, first seat of Funchal's parish.
The Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Calhau was Funchal's first parish church, begun around 1438 on the shore by the left bank of the Ribeira de João Gomes. It was repeatedly damaged by floods and destroyed by the great flood of 1803; its chancel was kept as a memorial until the ruins were demolished in 1835 for a market.
- Funchal
Site of the first parish created on Madeira.
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.
- Funchal Cathedral (the Sé)
Funchal. Church to which the parish moved in 1508, later the cathedral.
The Sé do Funchal is the cathedral of Funchal, in the parish of Sé. It was begun in 1493, became a parish seat in 1508 and a cathedral in 1514. It was the starting point of processions and the place of the vow to São Tiago, and bishops are buried there.
- Machico
Captaincy seat whose parish was younger than Câmara de Lobos and Calheta.
The parish of Machico was the landing place of the discoverers Zargo and Tristão Vaz and the seat of the captaincy of Machico; the parish was founded c. 1450. The Elucidário covers its clergy and stipends, chapels, historical events, mineral springs, localities, population and notable natives.
- Ponta do Sol
Early parish after 1440.
South-coast parish and municipality, settled from about 1440 by Rodrigo Enes 'o Coxo'. Its parish church of Nossa Senhora da Luz holds a triptych. The Elucidário also records its quay of 1848, paid for by the council, and the royal visit of 1858.
People
People mentioned · 04- Álvaro Rodrigues de Azevedo1825–1898
Annotator of the Saudades da Terra, who claimed São Sebastião was Funchal's first church and first parish seat, a view the Elucidário disputes.
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Member of the Order of Christ sent to oversee religious services; parish priest of Nossa Senhora do Calhau and then of the Sé until becoming dean in 1514.
- João Gonçalves Zarcod. 1467
Discoverer and first captain of Funchal, whose Franciscan companions were the island's first priests.
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King of Portugal who granted the spiritual jurisdiction of the archipelago to the Order of Christ by royal charter of 1433.