Since 2003, the availableness of important financial resources, made possible to 'enter on' an arts patronage project, initiated back in 1997.The goal was conserving and restoring three main buildings in Madeira: The Cathedral - Sé, Santa Clara Convent and the Church of St. John Evangelist (also know by Colégio Church), as well as, all their moveable patrimony. The buildings quality and the necessary care that these intervention works demand, in order to ensure their valuation, requires that all technicians involved in these projects should have the most specialised knowledge in Theory of Intervention. It is also imperative to perform a detailed follow-up and superintendence of the interventions works.

Santa Clara's Church and Convent| Photographic survey
Photographic survey of the monument’s tour.


Santa Clara's Church and Convent | Recovery of the roof-coverings from the entrance
The entrance was one of the areas that had the oldest covering and indeed needing urgent intervention. The wooden structures were recuperated, the gutter-pipe and the roof-tile covering were replaced and a sub-roofing tile layer was introduced.


Santa Clara's Church and Convent| Conservation and Restoration
Rehabilitating the lower choir was an important work, which helped to dignify this space. Hopefully, in a short period of time, it will be possible to extend it to a visitable area. The portals, the choir-stalls and the altar of Saint Anthony were also restored.


Santa Clara's Church and Convent| Promotion
The potential wealth of convent as an enormous source of knowledge is due to its history and monumental magnificence. A collection of postcards was published and an informative leaflet was prepared. Presently, waiting for superior approval, is a project of arts patronage with the purpose of informing and inviting private companies to participate in the recovery process of the convent’s artistic and valuable assets.

Sé | Photographic survey
The Cathedral’s decorative richness is mainly seen across its ceilings. For the time being, it is only possible to discover this richness through photography, considering that those ceilings need a restoring intervention.


Sé | Levantamento pormenorizado das cantarias à escala 1/20
O levantamento directo ou através de fotografia dos panos em cantaria aparelhada da Sé, foi um trabalho minucioso, difícil e que requereu uma orientação constante. Este trabalho tornou possível a execução dos estudos e propostas de intervenção.


Sé | Pluvial Waters - Draining works
The chapel’s coverings were replaced, the insulating system was renewed and the hangers for the gutters and tumble pipes were created, so that it was possible to remove the water from the squared-stones. The Churchyard’s hangers were also rectified and the pluvial water draining system canalised.


Sé| Promotion actions
A leaflet about the building is being prepared and it will be published in Portuguese and English. In Funchal, the 2006 International Day of Monuments and Sites had as main theme the Cathedral – Sé. A Seminar and a musical concert were held on this day to celebrate this event.

St. John Evangelist's Church|Restoring of the walls frescoes
The restoring of the frescoes found under the painting that covered the walls. A unique working process, which required an extremely careful and prudent evaluation. After this, the chapels and the moveable patrimony will be restored.


St. John Evangelist's Church |Restoration of the tower, turret and façade
This intervention consisted in recovering the tower and turrets (with the repairing of plaster-works, pavements, window's and door bays and replacement of the electric supply system), insulating the terrace, plasterwork repairing and whitewashing, and of installing an anti-pigeon system

St. John Evangelist's Church |Restoring of the walls frescoes
The restoring of the frescoes found under the painting that covered the walls. A unique working process, which required an extremely careful and prudent evaluation. After this, the chapels and the moveable heritage will be restored.


St. John Evangelist's Church | Promotion actions
Some of the promotion actions that were made had as main subject the Colégio Church; guided tours, lectures introducing and explaining the works in course and an informative poster, which can be seen in loco; a leaflet is being prepared and an appealing invitation to the arts patronage was also made.

The inventory and identification of the region’s diverse existing typologies, the study of traditional architecture in its constructive, environmental, economical and social spheres is essential and sets up a support for the recovery of buildings with traditional architecture features, for its valuation and reuse in the existing development scenario. Indispensable, in terms of identity for the local population, traditional architecture appears as being important in terms of tourism, providing to our visitors the contact with ancient realities. Its recovery can inclusively lead to a touristic utilization of some buildings by including them in an accommodation net.

Traditional Architecture | Survey on houses with thatched roof coverings
The complete survey on thatched roof covering houses in the Municipalities of Santana and Machico, made possible to identify exactly how many of these constructions existed and their characteristics. The entire process, from the tillage to the thatching was also registered.


Traditional Architecture | Drawing and photographic survey
The existing differences between the houses of Santana and São Jorge, reflect the conditions of the involving environment. They are located in plane soil, have one floor and their structure and walls are made of wood, due to the shortness of stone-quarries.


Traditional Architecture | Recovery interventions
In an attempt to prevent and avoid its depersonalization, a project to recover a group of thatched roof constructions was created, in order to give them some value and serve as an example of good work together with better habitableness.


Traditional Architecture | Inventory by municipalities
Beyond the thatched roof constructions, a multiplicity of constructions are also able to respond and face the functional and basic needs of inhabiting and producing. They are adapted to the environment and built with the available local materials.


Traditional Architecture | Promotion
Actions have been carried out in order to promote some of the ‘hidden’ values of our traditional architecture, such as the exhibition that occurred in 2005, the Serra D’Água Leaflet; an example of that are the several leaflets promoting the Regulation Decree.

Historical Organs of Madeira | Photographic survey
With the purpose of editing a book which would include technical and historical data on the subject, a photographic survey and inventory about the Region’s Historic Organs was undertaken.


Historical Organs of Madeira | Interventions and restoring
There is a oroject in progress for the restoration of an organ ensemble within the most representative organs in the Region. The organs from the churches of Porto da Cruz, São Pedro, Bom Jesus and Ponta do sol have already been restored.


Historical Organs of Madeira | Photographic survey
Once the restoring process was concluded a CD was recorded with the register of several compositions and a concert was organised to introduce the renewed instrument to the public. The madeira Music Conservatory stimulates its training and this will allow, in the future, the “rebirth” of the instrument and the existence of a different cultural offer that must be highlighted.