Funchal
Overview
Funchal is the largest city, the municipal seat and the capital of Portugal
's Autonomous Region of Madeira
. The city has a population of 112,015 and has been the capital of Madeira for more than five centuries.
The name Funchal, was applied by the first settlers that landed on its shores due to the abundance of wild fennel
where, as tradition goes, the primitive burg was built. From the Portuguese
word "funcho" (fennel
) and the suffix "-al", to denote "a plantation of fennel":
This settlement began around 1424, when the island was divided into two Captaincies
, and the zones that would become the urbanized core of Funchal would be founded by João Gonçalves Zarco
who settled there with members of his family.
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
's Autonomous Region of Madeira
Madeira
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
. The city has a population of 112,015 and has been the capital of Madeira for more than five centuries.
The name Funchal, was applied by the first settlers that landed on its shores due to the abundance of wild fennel
Fennel
Fennel is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum . It is a member of the family Apiaceae . It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves...
where, as tradition goes, the primitive burg was built. From the Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
word "funcho" (fennel
Fennel
Fennel is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum . It is a member of the family Apiaceae . It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves...
) and the suffix "-al", to denote "a plantation of fennel":
This settlement began around 1424, when the island was divided into two Captaincies
Captaincy
A captaincy is a historical administrative division of the former Spanish and Portuguese colonial empires. Each was governed by a captain general.-In the Portuguese Empire:...
, and the zones that would become the urbanized core of Funchal would be founded by João Gonçalves Zarco
João Gonçalves Zarco
João Gonçalves Zarco was a Portuguese explorer who established settlements and recognition of the Madeira Islands, and was appointed first captain of Funchal by Henry the Navigator.-Life:...
who settled there with members of his family.
Unanswered Questions
