The Plundering of Funchal in 1566 and its Repercussions in the Reign of King Sebastian

Abstract

In 1566 a terrible event occurred in Madeira, with a raid by a band of pirates captained by the French Peyrot de Monluc. It is perhaps the only significant event related to piracy in the archipelago which was, moreover, well known by some of the most famous pirates and corsairs, Berbers or Europeans. Although Monluc died in the onslaught, his companions made a general plunder in Funchal, and then set sail unscathed. The onslaught on Madeira had the aid of Portuguese pilots, who would later be captured and hanged years later. Following this event, the court sent a fleet to go after the pirates, but upon arriving in Funchal, ended up looting almost as severe as the one perpetrated by the pirates. In the following years, the Portuguese court would seek reparations from France for what had happened, without ever having been compensated. King Sebastian, unwilling to marry with Margarida de Valois, sister of the King of France, would use the sack of Funchal and the lack of reparations on the part of France to decline any conversation regarding the projected marriage.

Keywords

Madeira; Pirates; Peyrot de Monluc; King Sebastian.