The re-edition of the guidebooks for the Convent of Santa Clara, the Cathedral of Funchal, and the Chapel of Corpo Santo reflects the Regional Government’s ongoing strategy to preserve and promote Madeira’s religious heritage. This was highlighted on Tuesday by Eduardo Jesus, the Regional Secretary for Tourism, Environment, and Culture, during the official presentation of the new publications at the Convent of Santa Clara.
During the event, Secretary Jesus emphasised that heritage conservation has been a top priority for the regional executive over the past decade, noting the numerous interventions carried out across Madeira’s religious monuments.
“The Regional Government has prioritised substantial investment in heritage conservation. Our religious heritage has received focused attention, and these interventions have created a significant contrast to the state of these sites in the past,” he stated.
For the Secretary, physical preservation is only part of the mission; it is equally vital to communicate the historical and artistic significance of these sites to the public. “It is essential to recover, conserve, and preserve, but also to educate diverse audiences on the importance of each building,” he maintained, arguing that such dissemination must be based on rigorous, in-depth, and accessible information.
The reissued guides feature revised content and updated photography. Notably, the guide for the Convent of Santa Clara is now available in French and German.
Secretary Jesus noted that restoration work at the Cathedral of Funchal and the Convent of Santa Clara provided an opportunity to deepen the scholarly understanding of these monuments. The new knowledge gained from these conservation projects has been integrated into the guides, significantly enriching their content.
The collection, which covers churches, convents, and chapels across various municipalities, serves as an invitation to explore Madeira’s religious heritage, functioning as a comprehensive cultural itinerary. “The collection itself will spark curiosity,” the Secretary remarked, noting that these publications encourage both residents and visitors to engage more deeply with the history and identity of the region.
Eduardo Jesus commended the Regional Directorate for Culture for its work, emphasising that the guides were produced internally with meticulous care for historical research, information quality, and photographic standards.
These reprints respond to strong demand, as previous editions had sold out. The guides are available for purchase individually or as a complete set titled Guides to Chapels and Churches of Madeira at the respective monuments.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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