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the Manor House, with the rope to pull the Chapel bell

Solar São Cristóvão

Last updated on 3rd February 2025

The Quinta B Team (B&B in Funchal) visited the „Solar São Cristóvão“ (follow the road signs in Machico). Here are their impressions:

Today I would like to tell you about a little trip into Madeira’s past. We visited an old manor house in Machico, in the east of the island. It is a wonderful example of the stately architecture of Madeira and the living style of generations past. The house was built in 1690 on the orders of Cristóvão Moniz de Menezes as a private residence. Construction took around two years. Embedded in the building is a chapel that can be entered from both inside and outside the house. Over the past three centuries, different families have lived in the manor house. It has also been used as a religious center, a school and an art center. The building has been renovated and slightly modified time and again, but the original character and charm of the house have been preserved. After it was closed for several years and the ravages of time had gnawed at the old building, it was renovated by the regional government for the island’s 600th birthday and reopened as a museum in 2019, making it accessible to the general public. Various rooms in the house are open to the public, such as the large living room, the study, the kitchen with integrated dining room, two bedrooms and of course the chapel. The rooms were furnished with original furniture from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Many personal items of the former residents are also still on display. Consumer goods from days long gone have been collected with great attention to detail and complete the furnishings of the rooms. In the study you can admire books and manuscripts by the last private owner of the house, the writer Carlos Cristóvão da Câmara Leme Esçorcio de Bettencourt. Some old photos are also on display; you get the impression that the former owner had only briefly gone out the door and was about to return. The garden around the building is also open to the public as part of a visit. A large old water basin and a fountain with original tiles are also still there. The view over Machico into the valley is beautiful. The two friendly ladies who look after the museum personally, guide visitors through the building and the garden, explain everything very clearly and can tell a story or two about the former owners. And don’t worry, the tours are conducted in both Portuguese and English. If you are spending your holiday here on Madeira and would like to learn a little about the culture and people of the island, this visit is definitely recommended. Entry is free and there is also a large car park.

Have fun on your visit, it’s worth it!

The Quinta B Team

www.madeira-time.com

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