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Aerial view of the bay and city of Funchal

Funchal, Portugal

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Aerial view of the bay and city of Funchal
© tbralnina | Adobe Stock

Capital of the Madeira archipelago, the city of Funchal was first settled in 1424 and was granted city status in 1508. Located in the south of the island of Madeira, looking out over the Atlantic Ocean, it was a major bridgehead for the economic development for the island from the very start due to its favourable location, ideal harbour for seagoing vessels and fertile soil. The introduction of sugar cane as a cash crop transformed the city of Funchal, making it an obligatory stop-over for European trade vessels. The city’s economy – and thus that of the island as a whole – was later boosted by the wine-growing trade and investment in the tourism sector. It also boasts one of the Atlantic's foremost passenger ship harbours, which is visited by hundreds of cruise vessels each year.

Examples of projects and initiatives supported by the EU

Madeira Ocean Observatory – OOM

In 2015, the ERDF co-financed 85 % of the project by the Oceanic Observatory of Madeira aiming to develop research on biodiversity, fisheries and aquaculture, remote detection of marine animals and meteo-oceanographic models and forecasts. The project is being carried out by a multidisciplinary team comprising entities such as the municipality of Funchal and the Portuguese Society for the Study of Birds. 

Conservation and Restoration of the Mudéjar ceilings of the See of Funchal

Built between 1493 and 1517, Sé has Mudejar ceilings made of cedar wood from the island, of a unique size in Portugal. An application for ERDF funding was approved in 2019, amounting to EUR 987 044, around 70 % of the total investment cost. The restoration received a prize at the European Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards 2023. 

LIFE4BEST Puffinus

The patagarro, a bird endemic to Macaronesia, lives and nests in the ravines of the Santa Luzia stream, in Funchal. The project Life4BEST Puffinus, which has received funding of EUR 39 860, aims to collect more data on the Puffinus puffinus, raise awareness of its conservation status and reverse habitat loss as a result of the proliferation of invasive plants and fires. 

Musa Sustainable and Accessible Urban Mobility

[MUSA](https://www.idr.madeira.gov.pt/portal/Detalhes.aspx?IDConteudo=4513&IDMenu=2&IDSubMenu=137&Path=137 - Mobilidade Urbana Sustentável e Acessível (Sustainable and Accessible Urban Mobility), a 50 % ERDF-funded project, will enable Funchal Public Transport to purchase 5 electric minibuses and 25 buses with low greenhouse gas emissions. The project focuses on environmental quality and better transport conditions, making wheelchair transport easier 

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