Churches and Chapels

The Santa Clara Church, dating from the 15th century, was commissioned by João Gonçalves Zarco, the discoverer of Madeira and the first Captain Donatory of Funchal. The space was enlarged at the end of the same century to become part of the Santa Clara Convent, hence it has artistic and architectural elements from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. The Gothic marble portal and the tombs of João Goncalves Zarco and his family (wife, son, daughter and son-in-law) are preserved from the original construction.