Churches in Madeira

The spiritual experience of the people of Madeira has left its mark on the History and culture of the archipelago. The countless churches and chapels in Madeira are an important testimony of this.

Check out the religious heritage built along the north coast, where you will find churches and chapels that unmistakably symbolise the faith of the Madeiran people.

The History of this Atlantic archipelago is inseparable from the intense connection of its population to religious life. This valuable secular legacy can be witnessed through the numerous chapels and churches scattered throughout the territory.

In an archipelago that has always been moved by faith, some of the oldest and most important buildings are precisely churches and chapels.

Since the beginning of the archipelago's colonisation process, Madeiran culture has been deeply marked by the importance of the connection to Catholicism. Even today, a substantial part of the festivities celebrated in the region have a direct or indirect connection to religion. Therefore, in Madeira, chapels and churches have always represented indispensable places for the settlements of the archipelago. Besides being spaces dedicated to worship, they were also important meeting places, places of celebration and artistic expression.

Did you know that it was in the city of Machico that the first mass was celebrated in Madeira, in 1419? Explore the religious heritage along the east coast and discover beautiful and historic temples of devotion.

A large number of churches in Madeira stand out for their architectural and historical relevance. These monuments, from different eras, represent a heritage of inestimable value. In the streets of Madeira you can come across buildings in different styles: Baroque, Manueline, Gothic, Rococo, popular Mannerist or modern, for example.

While visiting the west coast, don't miss the opportunity to visit these churches and chapels and be dazzled by their architectural details.

Many of Madeira's chapels and churches house a valuable collection. These include artworks such as tiles, paintings, sculptures, gilded woodcarvings and pieces of sacred jewellery, which can be seen inside these monuments.

On the island of Porto Santo, people's devotion and faith are also materialised in the construction of religious temples, with one church and three chapels geographically distributed over the 42 km2 of this golden island.