2015Madeira II (self-adhesive) - First Day Cover

MADEIRA

Madeira Island Quintas

Quinta Monte Palace is located in a high area of the Funchal bay. In 1773, British Consul Charles Murray acquired these lands where he built a home. In 1897 it was bought by Alfredo Rodrigues who turned it into a luxury hotel inspired by the romantic palaces of the banks of the Reno River. This hotel was part of the itinerary of elegant people and cosmopolitan tourism of the early 20th century. In 1987, businessman Joe Berardo bought the farm where he set up the headquarters of the Fundação (Foundation). With this purchase, the farmhouse became exclusively used for private purposes and the gardens open to the public. These spaces have been renovated with exotic plants, endemic to several countries, and with plants that are typical of the Madeira forests.

Traditional Portuguese Bread

Due to its strategic location, in the 15th and 16th centuries Madeira was a location that hosted the routes of various products, thus welcoming culinary influences from other continents. For this reason, the Madeiran table has since long featured a few inherited dishes. The ‘Bolo do Caco’ portrays this influence brought by the Portuguese expansion. This bread of Arab origin is made from sweet potatoes, garlic, wheat flour, yeast, water and salt, and has a flat appearance. Formerly it was cooked in a ‘caco de telha’ (piece of tile), heated in the embers, a fact that gave it its name.

Currently there are different ways of cooking it: on an iron plate, in a pan, at the bottom of a clay or iron pot, or on a slab called "pedra de tufo", all of which must be very hot. Despite being a homemade bread, you can buy it from street vendors who cook it on the street. They are meant to be eaten warm, open in half, topped with chopped parsley and barred with garlic butter that melts and soaks the inside.

Europa 2012 – Visit...

Portugal, land of sea and sailors, of smells of salt and sea air, had several high moments over the years.
In the third quarter of the 20th century, the Portuguese Merchant Navy lived one of those moments. The economic context was favourable, which might have determined the return to the seas, with the purchase of dozens of new ships, quite advanced for the time. They were vigorous, sumptuous and graceful, worthy of representing the Portuguese maritime tradition. Portugal was connected to the world - during the

50s, 60s and 70s - by a fleet of splendorous cruisers. Frequent trips transported thousands of passengers between Europe, Africa and America.
One of the most notable cruisers, which was part of the Portuguese fleet, was the Santa Maria, with the nobility of its traits and artistic details. The first time it sailed in the Tejo, in 1953, it was welcome in a tone of festivity, as was customary every time it arrived or departed from a port. Its usual destination was Brazil and America, with stopovers in Madeira.

Europa 2011 – Forest and Tourism

The autonomous region of Madeira has the largest forest of Macaronesia Laurel, recognized as World Natural Heritage by UNESCO. Laurel is considered a live relic and is part of the Natural Park of Madeira. The forest area of this Region has its own different natural features - geological, hydrological and climatic.

One of the greatest charms of Madeira is its lush and varied vegetation that combines tropical characteristics with Mediterranean ones, giving rise to a varied vegetable medley, rich in shades of green, shapes and sizes. The beauty of the landscapes and the particularities of the laurel have contributed to the regional economy that is based on tourism and Nature sports.

Traditional Portuguese Embroideries

Madeira embroidery was what, among us, became most international and with the most economic value. This art was made known in the 19th century, intended for women's clothing and household linen for a clientele that admires and is thirsty for refinement. There are tablecloths, dresses, shirts, linens and exquisite handkerchiefs in linen, silk, cotton and organdie, filled with elaborate compositions designed with lines of the same colour. These pieces have a history and tradition linked to prosperity and there are many tables of European aristocracy that were and are covered with these embroideries.

Nowadays, the finest and most delicate Embroidery is both a souvenir and a gift much sought after by tourists who visit the island and very much admire its beauty and mastery. This is a treasure that will certainly last for several generations.