Some of the most incredible facts and stories of the archipelago of Madeira.
Napoleon’s passing through the Island
On the 24th of August, 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte passed through Funchal after the napoleonic wars, on his way to exhile in the distant Saint Helena Island. A few books and fresh fruits were offered to the emperor, along with a cask of the very best Madeira had to offer at the time: Madeira Wine. After Napoleon’s death, and since it had never been opened, the maerchants asked for the cask to be returned. Once it was back in Madeira soil, its content was shared between a few famed Madeira families. Up to this day, those families are still proud to have kept the precious nectar.
Buccaneers Attack
On October 3rd 1566, French buccaneers have crossed Funchal's Bay without firing a single cannonball. The population prayed for them to sail ahead but the pirates had a different plan: Led by Bertrand de Montluc, they moored in Praia Formosa and for a month, piled and ransacked the city's churches and places with any valuables. The attack is still thought of as one of the biggest lootings in our Island's history.
Legend of Machim
According to the legend, from the late fourteenth century and early fifteenth century there was in England a young man named Roberto Machim, legendary knight of the court of king Edward III of England. He was in love with an English Lady, Ana de Arfert (or Ana de Harfert), who corresponded to his love, but was to marry a nobleman by the will of her family. Machim and his friends thought up a plan to rescue the bride before the wedding and take her by boat to France. As they fled away from the English coast, the lovers were surprised by a storm and drifted for days until they arrived at Madeira Island, possibly in Machico. But this Shakespeare-esque fairytale didn't last for long, as the Lady, whose health was already debilitated, would die a few days later. Machim was affected by a very big melancholy and in less than a week he joined his beloved in death. It is said that the remaining members of the expedition raised and engraved a cross with a brief story of the two beloved. According to the legend, when the Portuguese discoverers came a few years later, they were able to discover the wooden cross and the inscription. They built the first chapel of the island in the tree cavity, thus giving the name of Machico in honour of that inscription.
