Quinta das Cruzes Museum

The Quinta das Cruzes museum, officially a museum of decorative arts, is housed in a historic estate - the site was the last residence of João Gonçalves Zarco, the discoverer of the Island of Madeira. It's in a fashionably-elevated part of Funchal, not too far from the Fortaleza do Pico.

As the first museum to come under the responsibility of the regional government, the collection remains eclectic, housing items that do not always have much in common, but the main upstairs rooms are set out as they might have appeared in the eighteenth or nineteenth century with English furniture (Chippendale, Hepplewhite, etc.) and continental porcelain (Meissen, Sèvres). There is a variety of contemporary paintings, some Portuguese and some of other origins.

Downstairs there is a display of Portuguese furniture, Chinese porcelain, some early forms of Madeiran transport and a gallery of silver of various vintages.

In the pleasant grounds, which are free to visit, you'll find a collection of archeological artefacts, the old family chapel and a modern café building.

Getting there

The museum can be seen at the centre top of the map above.

There are no adjacent local public transport options. If you're going to the Fortaleza do Pico, it's on the downhill walk back into town. If you're visiting the British Cemetery, you can walk down the Rua das Cruzes. Alternatively, you can walk uphill from the Jardim Municipal or the La Vie shopping centre. There are plenty of taxis adjacent to the Jardim Municipal if you don't fancy the walk.