Fortress of São Lourenço
Fortaleza de São Lourenço
Sé · Funchal
fortress in the parish of Sé, municipality of Funchal, Madeira
The São Lourenço fortress in Funchal was begun as a simple bastion under the fourth and fifth captains-donatary and completed by the reign of D. Sebastião; its main entrance faces the Largo da Restauração. It later served as a palace and housed the Funchal meteorological station, and the republican flag was raised there on 6 and 7 October 1910. The Elucidário also records its heraldic emblems, a 1635 inscription, an old chapel of São Lourenço and the loss of its statue of the saint in 1911.
1Mentioned in
- Sé (parish) — Fortress within the parish limits.
- Climate — Site of the Funchal meteorological station.
- Cortina da Cidade (city walls) — The only fortification inside the walls built before them.
- Azevedo Lemos (José António de) — Fortress where Azevedo Lemos tried to assault the governor.
- Entrada da Cidade — Some of its land was used to build the street.
- São Lourenço (fortress) — The fortress that is the subject of the entry.
- Restauração (square) — Fortress whose main entrance faces the square.
- St Lawrence (chapels) — Housed an old chapel dedicated to São Lourenço.
- Popular riots — Where the miller was held.
- Sweet chestnut (Castanea sativa) — A fruiting chestnut long grew there, showing the tree can live near the coast.
- Republic (proclamation of the) — Where the republican flag was raised on 6 and 7 October 1910.
- João Diniz (springs) — Fortress (later palace) beside which the springs rose; its seaward battery was removed in 1841.
- Sack of Funchal by the French — Fortress defended by the governor, where Montluc fell and was buried.
- Meteorological stations — Housed the Funchal meteorological post from 1865.
- Old Funchal — Not yet built in 1508.
- Câmara (Francisco Gonçalves da) — Fortress at whose gate fighting took place during the 1566 attack.
- Rego (Dr António Balbino do) — Where Rego took refuge after his house was stoned.
- Sousa Brasão (Manuel de) — His residence and place of death.
- Bombardment of Funchal — Hit by a shell in 1917.
- Procession of St Barbara — Fortress containing the chapel from which the procession left.
- Procession of St Francis — Its upper platform fired a salute to the procession.
- City gates — The Saúde gate stood near it.
- Palácio de São Lourenço — The fortress that became the São Lourenço Palace.
- Capitão (street) — Residence of the captain-donatary of Funchal, to which the street gave the most direct access.
- Jardim Pequeno — Water from the old fountain was diverted to this fortress.
2Chronology
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French Huguenot corsairs under Montluc, guided by Gaspar Caldeira, landed at Praia Formosa and sacked Funchal, storming the fortress of São Lourenço, profaning the cathedral and the Santa Clara convent, whose nuns fled to the Curral; Gaspar de Braga died resisting them. The attack, during the captaincy of Francisco Gonçalves da Câmara, prompted new coastal fortifications.
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Padre José da Costa de Lima was appointed first chaplain of the chapel of the São Lourenço fortress, the earliest known such warrant.
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José Silvestre Ribeiro ordered an inventory of the silver of the São Lourenço chapel, weighing 36 pounds.
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A new inventory of the São Lourenço chapel recorded 65 pounds of silver.
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The Funchal meteorological post began operating in the São Lourenço fortress.
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Manuel de Sousa Brasão died at the São Lourenço fortress.