Lime and Construction in the Madeira Archipelago in the 15th-16th Centuries

Abstract

The settlement of inhabitants in Madeira implied the construction of houses with local materials and some imported ones, such as lime and tiles. With the urban growth of Funchal and the completion of royal buildings, Funchal municipal authorities and King Manuel 1st prohibited the work of limekilns in Madeira Island, preserving firewood for he sugar cane industry. The decline of this production in the first half of the 16th century and the need to secure Funchal city seem to have contributed to lime importation and to the beginning of limestone quarrying in Madeira archipelago. The municipality of Funchal controlled the lime trade and used it in several projects because it was essential in constructions such as churches, fortifications and manor houses.

Keywords

Limestone; Firewood; Limekiln; Lime.