Our Lady of the Mount

Patron Saint of Madeira · Funchal

Perched on a hill overlooking Funchal, the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora do Monte is the religious heart of Madeira and the island's patron saint. Its church houses the remains of Blessed Emperor Charles I of Austria, who died in exile in 1922.

Origin and history

Around 1470, Adão Gonçalves Ferreira—considered the first man born in Madeira—commissioned the construction of a hermitage dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Encarnação (Our Lady of the Incarnation) on this site, the origin of the Marian devotion that would later be known as Nossa Senhora do Monte (Our Lady of the Mountain). This devotion, originally from Madeira, dates back to the island's settlement. Tradition also tells of the Virgin Mary's apparition to a shepherd girl in the nearby Terreiro da Luta (Square of Luta).

The current church, built in the Baroque style, was begun in 1741 and became the main religious center of Madeira. The Confraternity of Slaves of Our Lady of the Mount spread devotion to her throughout the island and among emigrants. By decree of Pope Pius VII, dated July 21, 1804, she was declared patron saint of the island of Madeira. The church houses the tomb of Blessed Charles I of Austria, who died at Quinta do Monte in 1922.