You might have read the previous post in this transatlantic cruise series recounting our arrival and how we took a rainy cable car trip up above Funchal where I mentioned this event, or you might know a little about fairly recent history of the island, but in 2010 Madeira was hit by extreme weather which led to loss of life and a lot of destruction. An area of Funchal that was affected badly was the old town, leaving behind ruins and devastated lives.
One response to the effects on Funchal was the launching of “The Art of Open Doors“, a project aimed at bringing colourful artwork and the necessary footfall to see it to part of the old town that people would otherwise have avoided due to its rundown state. While it’s not exclusively along Rua de Santa Maria in the old town, that is where you’ll find most of the more-than-two-hundred pieces of artwork today. Come for the pretty pictures, stay to make purchases at the stalls and shops along the narrow, cobbled streets.
There’s not much more to say other than to now show off a small sample of the doors adorned with street art in Rua de Santa Maria from our visit there in 2024. Street art is something we enjoy looking at wherever we travel in the world and when there’s a history attached to pieces it’s even more important to hunt it down and check it out.
In the next post we’ll do a little wandering to see some sights of Funchal (now that it had stopped raining), including a pit stop for some craft ales (well, it’s what we do).