Quinta das Cruzes Museum

About the Quinta das Cruzes Museum

Open to the public since 1953, the Quinta das Cruzes Museum presents a vast collection of works of art; but that is not all that makes it special. This estate reveals a strong historical connection with the city of Funchal, as it was the second residence of the family of João Gonçalves Zarco, discoverer of Madeira.

This space displays a great diversity of art objects, furniture of Portuguese and foreign (mostly English) origin, and also various pieces of jewellery, ceramics and sculpture.

Of the various pieces of furniture on display at the Quinta das Cruzes Museum, Funchal, the 'Chippendale, Hepplewhite and Sheraton' collection of English influence stands out, as does a set of 17th-century Portuguese pieces made from exotic woods imported mainly from Brazil. The porcelain cluster is subdivided into European porcelain, with articles by Meissen, Bristol or Vista Alegre, for example, and oriental porcelain, where the Chinese pieces of the Qing dynasty stand out.

Visitors of the Quinta das Cruzes Museum may also contemplate a series of Luso-oriental works of art, with original copies from the 16th, 17th or 18th centuries, and a set of sculptures, with particular emphasis on the terracotta nativity scene figures produced mainly in the 18th century.