Quinta das Cruzes
Historic manor house in Funchal associated with Zargo, where the Junta Geral decided to establish a Museum of Ancient Art with a collector's donation.
A brief historical account of this old manor house, which is closely bound up with the history of our archipelago, has already been sketched in the articles Moradias de Zargo (‘Zargo’s dwellings’) and Padrões Memoráveis (‘memorable monuments’).
Taking up the generous offer of a well-known collector of precious antiques and valuable works of art, the District General Council (Junta Geral do Distrito) resolved to create a Museum of Ancient Art, to be housed in this quinta (country estate) of such noble traditions. Our island was thus to gain a major improvement in the sphere of general culture and in the spread of worthwhile artistic knowledge, as well as a further attraction for the visitors who frequently come to us.
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Places mentioned · 01- Quinta das Cruzes · Subject
Funchal. The historic estate described, chosen to house a museum of ancient art.
The Quinta das Cruzes is a historic estate in Funchal, identified as the final residence of Zargo, where he died and where his sword was kept. A former Lomelino property later owned by Francisco Gonçalves da Câmara, it has a 1690s chapel with a marble ossuary said to contain Urbano Lomelino's bones. The Junta Geral chose it to house a museum of ancient art based on a collector's donation.