(Sé Catedral), constructed under the orders of D. Manuel, Duke of Beja, dating back to the 15th century The settlement of Funchal began between 1420 and 1425. The island was divided into two
captaincies. The zones that would become the urbanized core of Funchal were founded by
João Gonçalves Zarco who settled there with members of his family. Owing to its geographic location, the site became an important maritime port and its productive soils attracted new settlers. Its coastal position, the most productive on the island, quickly permitted Funchal to develop an urban core and surpass the populations of other settlements. In the early 15th century,
Álvaro Fernandes became the commander of Funchal. As part of its administrative role, the settlement received its primary lighthouse between 1452 and 1454, when it was elevated to the status of
vila and municipal seat. Funchal became an important transfer point for European commercial interests. Many of merchant families established commercial interests on the island, including: João d'Esmenaut from the
Picardy region, the Lomelino from
Genoa, the Mondragão from
Biscay, the Acciauoli from
Florence, the Bettencourts from France, the Lemilhana Berenguer from
Valencia and many others. During the second half of the 15th century, the sugar industry expanded significantly along the southern coast, from Machico until Fajã da Ovelha, making Funchal the most important industrial centre of the industry. By the end of the century, fronting the
Order of Christ,
D. Manuel,
Duke of Beja, expanded the support of the local community; he ordered the construction of the administrative Paços do Concelho and the Paços dos Tabeliães (completed in 1491), raised the construction of a church (began in 1493 and later raised to
cathedral in 1514), and finally the construction of a hospital and customs-house in the village. In 1508, it was elevated to the status of city by King
Manuel I of Portugal, and in 1514 (on completion of the Sé Cathedral) the bishopric was headquartered in Funchal. In September 1566, French corsairs under the command of Bertrand de Montluc, a gentleman in the court of
Charles IX of France and second-son of
Field Marshal Blaise de Montluc, departed from
Bordeaux with a force of 1200 men, on a small fleet of three main ships and eight support craft. The armada sacked
Porto Santo. When the news was relayed to the settlements on Madeira and the villas of
Machico and
Santa Cruz, the citizenry armed themselves. In Funchal, the governor, Francisco de Sales Gonçalves Zarco da Câmara, did not take any hostile action. Meanwhile, the armada anchored off the beach of Formosa, disembarked a contingent of 800 men that marched towards the city in three columns, encountering no resistance until the main bridge in São Paulo. At the bridge the privateers encountered a force from the small fort, with a few small-caliber pieces, which were quickly routed in confusion. At the road near Carreira, the attackers were confronted by a small group of Franciscan friars, who were quickly dispatched. Funchal's fortifications were finally assaulted by land, where its defense was thin; the defenders could not even reposition many of the cannons directed towards the sea. The city suffered a violent sack that lasted fifteen days, after which little remained. The document identifies the major defenses of the city, which included a large fortification in the area around the
dyke in Pena. During the 16th century, Funchal was an important stop-over for
caravels travelling between the
Indies and the
New World. hilltops The wine culture appeared during early settlement, through the incentives from
Henry the Navigator. By 1455, the
Venetian navigator,
Luís de Cadamosto, on visiting Madeira, referred to the excellence of the Madeirense wines, principally the
Malvasia castes from the island of
Crete, which were being exported in greater numbers. By the end of the 16th century, the celebrated English
poet and
playwright,
William Shakespeare, cited the important export and notoriety of the Madeiran Malvasia castes: in
Richard III the Duke of Clarence, the brother of King
Edward IV selected a death by drowning in a barrel of Madeira. Later, in Shakespeare's
Henry IV he has Poins censure Falstaff for having sold his soul to the devil for a cup of Madeira wine. The growth of viticulture in Madeira expanded when the sugar industry was attacked by cheaper exports from the New World and Africa, but also from various epidemics and the after-effects of the 1566 privateer sacks. The Companhia de Jesus developed the vast estate of Campanário, which extended from the city to Fajã dos Padres into one of the most successful wines on the island, whereas the nuns of Santa Clara, owners of some large parcels of land, entered into the wine industry, financing the ships that would take their wines to Brazil (and exchanging them for sugar for their sweets business). But, during the 19th century there were epidemics, aggravating the economy and forcing some to return to sugar plantations. In order to maintain the level of development, many landowners tried to plant new more-resistant castes, but of an inferior quality, in order to support the industry. The presence of these notable visitors marked a period when Funchal became a center of tourism and therapeutic health. With the formal creation of the Port of Funchal, and later the establishment of the Santa Catarina Airport, Funchal turned into a major international tourist destination supported by a series of hotels and ocean-front residences. ==Geography==