Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
History & Culture
Although it was the Portuguese who laid claim to the archipelago of Madeira during the
Age of Discovery, there is evidence to suggest some knowledge of the islands existed be-
fore they were settled. Archaeological evidence on the islands hints the Vikings may have
visited at some stage in the 10
th
or 11
th
Century, and maps found in Italy which date from
the mid-12
th
Century clearly show the islands and identify them as 'Leiname', 'Diserta',
and 'Puerto Santo'.
However, the official discovery of the islands occurred in 1418 under the service of Henry
the Navigator, when two of his captains were taken off-course by a storm to an island they
named 'Porto Santo'. The following year they returned to claim the island and discovered
the nearby, larger island of Madeira. Colonisation of the islands took place almost imme-
diately and the first settlement had arrived between 1420 and 1425. The island's perfect
weather conditions allowed the production of commercial crops which helped fuel Por-
tuguese industry. In 1976, the archipelago received political autonomy, receiving its own
government, and celebrates this each year on Madeira Day.
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