Archaeological Museum 1Foundation and collections
Archaeological Museum
Original title: Museu Arqueológico
Account of the archaeological museum founded by the Funchal Municipal Council in 1915 in the former convent of Santa Clara, gathering relics from demolished or extinct buildings. Opposition from the Misericórdia and municipal inaction left it stalled and neglected by 1921.
1Foundation and collections
On 26 January 1915 the Funchal Municipal Council (Câmara Municipal) resolved to authorise the removal of various objects belonging to it to the Convent of St Clare (Santa Clara), in order to begin founding an archaeological museum that might later be greatly expanded. Following this decision, a number of valuable objects that had lain forgotten or neglected in the municipality’s storehouses and elsewhere were taken there. Among the objects moved to the convent were the marble coat of arms and crown of the Convent of São Francisco (St Francis of Assisi); the turn (roda, revolving hatch in the convent wall) of the Convento das Mercês (Convent of Our Lady of Mercy); an inscription from the Ponte de São João; several paintings from the Bishop’s Palace (Paço Episcopal); the vestments of the chapel of the same palace; the marble coat of arms of the old gaol; the marble coat of arms and crown of the Varadouros (‘slipways’) arch, together with the Latin inscription, in local basalt, from the same arch; various items from the defunct Hospital de São Lázaro (St Lazarus); the old measures of the weights and measures office; the portrait of Canon Viveiros, founder of the Convento da Encarnação (Convent of the Incarnation), etc., etc.
2Obstruction and neglect
The spiteful campaign waged by the Administrative Committee (Comissão Administrativa) of the Holy House of Mercy (Santa Casa da Misericórdia), chaired by Francisco Gomes de Gouveia, against the establishment of the archaeological museum in the building of the former convent, together with the little energy the Council showed in asserting its rights to possession of certain parts of that building, caused the museum to stall almost from the outset, so that it failed to render the services that might reasonably have been expected of it. In January 1916 the Municipal Council (Câmara Municipal) did resolve to petition the Government, requesting the grant of all the articles belonging to the Convent of St Clare that had any historical value, so that they might be kept in the archaeological museum. However, this show of interest in an institution which, once properly set up, could well have fed the spirit of inquiry of learned people, is the last of which we have any knowledge. Nothing more has since been said about properly housing the countless objects of value that may deteriorate or go astray, because they have been left in the most complete neglect (1921).
In this article
Time
Years mentioned · 02Place
Places mentioned · 10
- Bishop's palace
Funchal. Paintings and chapel vestments from it went to the museum.
The old bishops' palace in Funchal, built in 1751 after the 1748 earthquake and enlarged by Bishop Teles da Silva, with the bishop's São Luís chapel beside it. It housed the seminary and lodged the nuncio. From 1914 it was taken over by the lyceum, forcing the Câmara Eclesiástica to move, and paintings and vestments from it went to the Archaeological Museum.
- Convent of Our Lady of Ransom
Funchal. Its turntable (roda) went to the museum.
The Convento das Mercês was a convent in Funchal, begun in 1654 as a lay retreat house for women, made a strict Poor Clare convent in 1663, and demolished from 1911. It was renowned for the austerity of its nuns, its foundation is the subject of a legend, and it gave the Rua das Mercês its name. Madre Brites da Paixão lived, died and was buried there, and its church held the image of Our Lady of Solitude.
- Convent of St Clare
Funchal. Former convent chosen to house the museum.
A convent in Funchal founded in 1492–97 by the second captain-donatary João Gonçalves da Câmara beside the church of Conceição de Cima. It is the burial place of the Câmara family and holds a 1447 document spelling the name 'Zargo'. It was granted in 1912 for a new hospital and was later chosen to house the archaeological museum.
- Convent of St Francis
Funchal. Its marble shield and crown went to the museum.
The Convento de São Francisco was a Franciscan convent in Funchal founded in 1473, which marked the western limit of the city in 1508. Its church was demolished in 1865, and its fittings, books, tombstones and bones went to the Angústias cemetery, the museum and the Municipal Library. Its buildings briefly lodged prisoners until 1836 and housed the police in 1857.
- Convent of the Incarnation
Funchal. Convent founded by Canon Viveiros.
A Funchal convent founded by Canon Henrique Calaça de Viveiros after 1508. Its chapel temporarily housed the parish seat, and a new seminary building was raised in its grounds in 1909. It was proposed as a site for the hospital, the asylum and the prison.
- Funchal
Municipality whose council founded the museum.
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.
- Ponte de São João
Funchal. An inscription from this bridge went to the museum.
A bridge in Funchal at one end of the Rua da Carreira. A bakery there was sacked in 1931, and an inscription from the bridge went to the Archaeological Museum.
- Portão dos Varadouros
Funchal. Its shield, crown and Latin inscription went to the museum.
Main gate of Funchal's city walls, dating from 1689 and topped by the chapel of Nossa Senhora dos Varadouros and a Latin inscription. It served as the city's main entrance and was used for official entries until 1839. It was demolished in 1911, and its shield, crown and inscription went to the Museu Arqueológico.
- St Lazarus’s Hospital
Funchal. Articles from this extinct hospital went to the museum.
The Hospital de São Lázaro was a hospital in Funchal, possibly already built by 1508, with a chapel of the same dedication. It closed in 1912, the new prison was built on its site (the civil prison by 1921), and articles from it went to the Museu Arqueológico.
People
People mentioned · 02-
Presided over the Misericórdia commission that opposed housing the museum in the Santa Clara convent.
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Canon who founded the convent of the Incarnação; his portrait was moved to the museum.