It is located in the historic center of the city of Funchal (Zona Velha do Funchal), in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal
The construction of the São Tiago fortress should have started around 1614, as can still be seen today in the inscription on the original gate.
The beginning of construction must be attributed to the Royal master builder, Jerónimo Jorge, who was a fortifier who arrived in Madeira to replace Mateus Fernandes, author of the plans for the city's defensive walls and who had worked here since 1567.
After the death of Jerónimo Jorge in 1617, the work was continued by his son, Bartolomeu João.
The first phase of work on the fortress should have been completed in 1637, during the time of King Philip II of Portugal (Philip III of Spain).
The 18th century saw the second major construction campaign, led by Engineer Tossi Colombina (author of the Funchal port project), under the orders of the then governor José Correia de Sá, who acquired new probabilistic devices in London.
The commemoration relating to this work intervention is still present in the epigraph that can be seen above the new gate bearing the date 1767.
Some modifications were made during the Napoleonic Wars, at the beginning of the 19th century, the fortress served as a barracks for British troops.
As early as 1803, many families who had been left without shelter during the terrible flood were housed in the fortress, and in the middle of the same century the commander and guard's house was built.
At the beginning of the 20th century, improvements were carried out again, due to the visit of “D. Carlos I” King of Portugal in 1901.
The Fortress was then the headquarters of the Mobile Artillery Battery, and this unit was handed over to the Autonomous Region of Madeira on July 17, 1992.
At the time, it served as a barracks for the Army Police and the Funchal Lancers Squadron.
In 1992, the Regional Government of the Autonomous Region of Madeira decided to install a military space and the Museum of Contemporary Art in this Fort.
In 1986, a selection of works of art was exhibited at Quinta Magnólia in Funchal under the name “Núcleo de Arte Contemporânea”: the collection has its origins in the Cidade do Funchal awards organized in 1966 and 1967 by the then Madeira Tourism Delegation.
In 2015, the Funchal Contemporary Art Museum was transferred to Casa das Mudas in Calheta, now called Mudas.
A Monument Interpretation Center with a wider-ranging exhibition explaining Funchal's defenses and fortifications in a historical/cultural journey that accompanied the demographic and landscape growth, the secular evolution of the fort and its strategic relationship with other military strongholds in the defense of Funchal Bay.
This is the genesis of the future Madeira Archeology Museum with the incorporation of other Regional collections arising from various archaeological excavations.
The exhumed pieces are material testimony to human occupation since the 19th century. From the 15th century to the present, the history of the archipelago will be “retold” through the artefacts, as if the buried past emerged to corroborate the History of the Place.
The Fort was built at the beginning of the 17th century as a defense fortress for the port of Funchal, it is an urban fort with military architecture, and is located above the seafront of the historic area of the city, better known as “Zona Velha”.
Forte S. Tiago is located in the Historic Center of Funchal, in the middle of the area's housing and consists of a fortress that was built in 1614 to protect the city of Funchal from corsair and other attacks.
The Fort is well preserved and its bright color makes the building stand out, and goes unnoticed even by those taking a boat ride due to its yellow color.
The imposing fortress from 1614 was Arsenal from 1914 until 1992 when the shipyards were moved to the industrial zone.
Currently in the vicinity there are old buildings, the fort has a labyrinth of passages and stairs, offers a wide view of the city, a restaurant, and visitors can take a short walk along the pleasant coastline of Funchal.
The São Tiago Fort, with all its grandeur and glory that it once had, is a historic place and visitors can enjoy a beautiful sunset and stunning views over Madeira and the Atlantic Ocean.
A place that tells a lot about the city's history, with a fantastic view of the sea, a well-maintained place, and usually also has an exhibition taking place on the upper floor.
The beginning of construction must be attributed to the Royal master builder, Jerónimo Jorge, who was a fortifier who arrived in Madeira to replace Mateus Fernandes, author of the plans for the city's defensive walls and who had worked here since 1567.
After the death of Jerónimo Jorge in 1617, the work was continued by his son, Bartolomeu João.
The first phase of work on the fortress should have been completed in 1637, during the time of King Philip II of Portugal (Philip III of Spain).
The 18th century saw the second major construction campaign, led by Engineer Tossi Colombina (author of the Funchal port project), under the orders of the then governor José Correia de Sá, who acquired new probabilistic devices in London.
The commemoration relating to this work intervention is still present in the epigraph that can be seen above the new gate bearing the date 1767.
Some modifications were made during the Napoleonic Wars, at the beginning of the 19th century, the fortress served as a barracks for British troops.
As early as 1803, many families who had been left without shelter during the terrible flood were housed in the fortress, and in the middle of the same century the commander and guard's house was built.
At the beginning of the 20th century, improvements were carried out again, due to the visit of “D. Carlos I” King of Portugal in 1901.
The Fortress was then the headquarters of the Mobile Artillery Battery, and this unit was handed over to the Autonomous Region of Madeira on July 17, 1992.
At the time, it served as a barracks for the Army Police and the Funchal Lancers Squadron.
In 1992, the Regional Government of the Autonomous Region of Madeira decided to install a military space and the Museum of Contemporary Art in this Fort.
In 1986, a selection of works of art was exhibited at Quinta Magnólia in Funchal under the name “Núcleo de Arte Contemporânea”: the collection has its origins in the Cidade do Funchal awards organized in 1966 and 1967 by the then Madeira Tourism Delegation.
In 2015, the Funchal Contemporary Art Museum was transferred to Casa das Mudas in Calheta, now called Mudas.
A Monument Interpretation Center with a wider-ranging exhibition explaining Funchal's defenses and fortifications in a historical/cultural journey that accompanied the demographic and landscape growth, the secular evolution of the fort and its strategic relationship with other military strongholds in the defense of Funchal Bay.
This is the genesis of the future Madeira Archeology Museum with the incorporation of other Regional collections arising from various archaeological excavations.
The exhumed pieces are material testimony to human occupation since the 19th century. From the 15th century to the present, the history of the archipelago will be “retold” through the artefacts, as if the buried past emerged to corroborate the History of the Place.
The Fort was built at the beginning of the 17th century as a defense fortress for the port of Funchal, it is an urban fort with military architecture, and is located above the seafront of the historic area of the city, better known as “Zona Velha”.
Forte S. Tiago is located in the Historic Center of Funchal, in the middle of the area's housing and consists of a fortress that was built in 1614 to protect the city of Funchal from corsair and other attacks.
The Fort is well preserved and its bright color makes the building stand out, and goes unnoticed even by those taking a boat ride due to its yellow color.
The imposing fortress from 1614 was Arsenal from 1914 until 1992 when the shipyards were moved to the industrial zone.
Currently in the vicinity there are old buildings, the fort has a labyrinth of passages and stairs, offers a wide view of the city, a restaurant, and visitors can take a short walk along the pleasant coastline of Funchal.
The São Tiago Fort, with all its grandeur and glory that it once had, is a historic place and visitors can enjoy a beautiful sunset and stunning views over Madeira and the Atlantic Ocean.
A place that tells a lot about the city's history, with a fantastic view of the sea, a well-maintained place, and usually also has an exhibition taking place on the upper floor.
