Rua dos Aranhas

Rua dos Aranhas runs between Rua da Carreira and Avenida Arriaga, and although it used to be longer, today it is only 243 metres long.

From a historical point of view, it owes its name to the Aranha family, a family that lived in Funchal in the 17th century.

It was also once called Rua das Chaves, referring to Manuel Figueira de Chaves, a doctor from Funchal, who lived here.

A building of great relevance that once existed here was the Cory firm that supplied coal to the navigations and where later the Infante Shopping Centre was built. It was also located in this artery, the Escola Distrital de Habilitação para o Magistério Primário (District School of Qualification for Primary Teaching), given the need to create an educational establishment of this nature, at a time when the number of qualified teachers in the schools of the region was scarce.

At the beginning of this route, on the south side, you will find the Associação de Promoção da Madeira (Madeira Promotion Association), the headquarters of the ACIF – Associação de Comércio e Indústria da Madeira (Madeira Trade and Industry Association). A little above, you can find at the junction with Rua Ivens, La Vie Shopping Centre, which is graced with Hotel the Vine inside.

Some commercial shops and pleasant restaurant areas fill the southern part of this artery, which has no access for cars.

This street intersects with Rua Nova de São Pedro, Rua Major Reis Gomes, Rua Ivens and Rua da Ponte.