Translation from Diario de Notícias

In 1903, the island was sold to citizen Great Britain, and Portugal lost his control and sovereignty over the island support in the Royal Charter.

In 1996, the Portuguese authorities showed their interest to reclaim the island from its British owner which, however, remained unfulfilled. Since 2000, the ownership right of the island was acquired by an individual Portuguese citizen. Since then, the owner of the island has been pressurized by the Portuguese governors to hands off his ownership over the property by selling and giving the custody of the island to them.

Given the situation of trying the unlawful occupation by the Portuguese state full member of an international organization of European Union, the prince is asking the United Nations and the international community will help against the occupying country, the Royal Charter letter is deposited in London and is recognized by the Portuguese state, in 2006.

A nail dating from the time of Christ’s crucifixion has been found at a remote fort believed to have once been a stronghold of the Knights Templar.

The four-inch long nail is thought to be one of thousands used in crucifixions across the Roman empire.

Archaeologists believe it dates from either the first or second century AD.

The nail was found last summer in a decorated box in a fort on the tiny isle of Ilheu de Pontinha, just off the coast of Madeira.

Pontinha was thought to have been held by the Knights Templar, the religious order that was part of the Christian forces which occupied Jerusalem during the Crusades in the 12th century.

The knights were part of the plot of Dan Brown’s best-selling novel, The Da Vinci Code.

Bryn Walters, an archaeologist, said the iron nail’s remarkable condition suggested it had been handed with extreme care, as if it was a relic.

“It dates from the first to second centuries,” he told the Daily Mirror.

While one would expect the surface to be “pitted and rough” he said on this nail the surface was smooth.

That suggested that many people had handled it over the centuries, with the acid on their hands giving it a “peculiar finish”.

Christopher Macklin of the Knights Templar of Britannia said the discovery was “momentous”.

He said the original Knights Templar may have thought it was one of the nails used in Christ’s crucifixion.

The nail was found together with three skeletons and three swords.

One of the swords had the Knight Templar’s cross inscribed on it.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk

We feel however that some historians Portuguese forgotten are some details, may even be deliberate, particularly on the city since the beginning of Funchal city before it was a port and the port could have been anywhere on the edge of town that was then given the name of Funchal.

Maybe in the next 500 years or 1000 years from now is where it was said that port!
Even the historians forget to refer some rocks in front of the bay that city.
As you know the Desert and the Wild were bought by Portugal as the then fascist government after the 1958 Montevideo conference “saw” the issue of national sovereignty without those islands.

For the bay of Funchal there are 2 islets.
One was sold and was announced by the King in 1903 in the Government Gazette of Portugal.
Not published in a newspaper of Russia, Argentina or another country for a friend who has the power to acquire and then were to say to read the newspapers as we know they do in Portugal and give the appearance of increased transparency hidden. It was published on August 25 of 1903.

Another islander was fortress and in 1996 the Portuguese government ceded to the same activities were developed to support the cultural and heritage.
Wild on the islands to June 17 1996 was drawn up a contract with an individual for that purpose, for 10 years and with aid from the European Union said the businessman received EU funds.
Obvious that the monument was classified and whose opinion was a ghost or opinion is never existed

Still on the same islet 3 days after you have finished the granting of 17 June 1997, ie the June 20, 2007 the Madeira smarter succeeded the keys to that is not strong and knew how to support and connivance of the Union European and logical of all Portuguese sent perform some works that are in sight.
As outlined in the Elucidário Madeira to Fort St. Jose was destroyed with those stones to build the Fort Nossa Senhora da Conceicao.

The Islands of Zargam, vol II, p 149 against the fort that Portugal sold states:

“The Islanders of St. Jose, despite demolished by neglect and poor understanding of the historical memories of the archipelago, is nonetheless a ruin memorable in the annals island”

Eduardo Pereira, 40, Sec. XX

About another monument to the Portuguese began to draw the pier but does not know is that this pier.
Another islander who passed almost unnoticed is the islet of love in front of the Hotel Savoy, was not the old pictures where you can see this islet.
We could talk about other forts Portuguese and history of 500 years would be long but just remember us from two others with the same name and with activities in August

The day on August 1, 1960 was the month that the fort of St. John the Baptist was to help busy in Benin and that Salazar (1962) told the Portuguese soldiers catch fire and flee to Portugal, and then the Assembly of the Republic in 1986 by a former Secretary of Foreign Affairs (a men named Jose Manuel Durão Barroso still alive and that curiously the agenda in their national parliament was to deliver native to the territory that was legitimate powers of Portugal, to be accepted in that the European Union) ( is in the minutes of the Assembly of the Republic, in 1986) and another strong even with the strong name of St. John the Baptist, located in the village of Porto Moniz that the City Hall site acquired for 85,000 euros in 1998 and which today is the transformation that we all know and that was also subsidized by the European Union and after completing the aquarium had a “reinforcement” of the Portuguese authorities of 200 thousand euros.
Over the next 500 years the people will tell more stories

The City of Funchal is the capital of the Autonomous Region of Madeira. Through August 2008, Funchal will celebrate 500 years. During the vast dominions of the Portuguese discoveries Funchal was the first to be granted the status of a City by the Portuguese crown. Its elevation attended to the development of its flourishing sugar culture. Yet another purpose was to transform Funchal into the main centre of a huge Diocese that was to control spiritually the vast territories acquired by the Portuguese, members of the Order of Christ, at the shores of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

A Brief History

The Madeiran Archipelago was discovered in 1419. Its settlement was owed to the discoveries, through the 15th century. It was the first experiment of its kind exploring shores never before inhabited. Trying out with agriculture, cultivating wheat, and later on the sugar cane, brought immediate wealth, and these cultures were thus used as model in the Canaries, the Azores, Cape Verde, and Brazil when colonized.

Late in the 15th century Madeira became, due to its exploration of sugar, a centre for international business. Merchants and adventurers of different European origins were en route to Madeira. The production and distribution of the sugar was the base for the international merchant capitalism of its period. The harbor of Funchal was headed for by German, Italian and Flemish merchants and other economic agents, as it was the case with Christopher Columbus, then a sugar negotiator. The future admiral of the Indies lived in Funchal for a time. He married Filipa Moniz, the daughter of Bartolomeu Perestrelo, who was the captain of Porto Santo.

The significance of the port of Funchal was vital enough so that D. Manuel was giving especial attention to it, even before being crowned king of Portugal. Hence in 1486 still only Duke of Beja, he gave orders to found a central administrative nucleolus between Santa Maria Maior and Santa Catarina and São Pedro, the residency of João Gonçalves Zarco and of his sons and daughters. He ceded his site of Duke as to build there a “Town Hall” and a big Church, which was shortly after to become the Cathedral and the main centre for the future Diocese. His mother, D. Beatriz had already established in 1477 insular customs, being one in Funchal the other in Machico, close to the sea. She had it that an own custom-house ought to be build.

Madeira became an important reference to sailors who navigated towards the North Atlantic. Due to the winds every European armada that sailed for the Atlantic South and the Indian Ocean had to pass through the Madeiran seas. This was even the case with the English and the armadas from Holland sailing towards Central America.

Throughout the 16th and the 17th century Madeira Island affirmed through the port of Funchal its strategic position in the North Atlantic commerce. But due to a new product: the Madeira Wine its position was even strengthened. The wine culture was introduced by the first settlers of Madeira. Already in 1455 the navigator Luís de Cadamosto referred to Madeira’s excellent wine grapes and that their wine was successfully being exported. In the middle of the next century none less than William Shakespeare himself refers to Madeira’s wine in a few of his plays. The playwright, for instance, lets the duke of Clarence, Edward IV’s brother, choose to die in a barrel of malmsey.

Throughout the next centuries the Madeira Wine is said to have therapeutic qualities. By finding out that its taste got even better when transported on sea during long maritime voyages, big armadas that were on their way to the Indies, passed through Madeira to load the wine on board.

Madeira thus became an important market place, while it became as well a place of repose. The so called Madeira quintas, manor houses with big gardens, were built. In the gardens you could find indigenous and imported plants. Of theses quintas large descriptions were made in travel books. For instance admiral James Cook, was accompanied by various specialists, during the 18th century; once on board of the Endeavour in 1768, and then on board of the Resolution in 1772. Authors of the travel books of that period described in detail the flora and fauna they found on the Island.

Even the British admiralty recognized the strategic importance of the port of Funchal in the 17th century, preparing constantly geo-hydrographics most of them in printed form.

During the political instability in Europe, due to the Napoleonic wars in 1801, an important armada composed of more then 100 ships landed on Madeira. The armada was on its way to the Indies, but had to anchor at Funchal’s bay. Under General Henry Clinton a military contingent stayed at Madeira as long as the negotiations were lasting in the continent.

Another occupation happened when the French were invading the Iberian Peninsula in 1807. The Portuguese court could flee to Brazil and was thus not depended on the mercy of the French as were the Spanish. Yet Madeira’s occupation lasted throughout the signing of the peace treaties.

The Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte passed through Madeira on his way to Saint Helena, his future exile. Here he was offered dried fruits, a few books and a cask of Madeira Wine. Yet his health did not allow him to drink the wine. After his death, the Madeira Wine was asked back by the merchants in Funchal. The wine in the cask was divided among the merchants’ families hence today you still have people claiming to possess a bottle of that particular drop.

During the 19th century Madeira became famous throughout Europe for its climate. Especially people suffering from pulmonary illnesses thought it fit for cures. The Island thus became an important place to spend the summer. Amongst others, the empress of Brazil, the Duchess Leopoldina of Austria in 1817, Amélia of Leuchtemberg in 1852 visited Madeira. Adelaide Queen of England passed through Madeira in 1847, the prince Maximilian Napoleon and his wife Charlotte of Belgium passed here the winter of 1859-1860. Nevertheless it was the empress Isabel of Austria, who passed a few months on Madeira between 1860 and 1861, that remained in the memory of the Madeiran people. Sissi, as she became known through the romantic bibliography of the 19th century, never forgot the moments she passed on the Island, recalling them passionately until she returned in 1893-1894 to Madeira, before her death in 1898.

The Habsburgs were to become personally attached to Madeira too, since Charles, the last Austrian emperor died here in 1922. His body is buried in the church of Nossa Senhora do Monte, next to the quinta, where he passed his last days. In 2004 his beatification took place. Still to mention is the Earl Alexander Charles of Lambert, adjutant of the Russian emperor, who settled in 1863 on Madeira Island. He married the year after but died unfortunately before his wife could give birth to his heir. The Earl Carlos Alexander of Lambert, was born on Madeira on December 30, 1864. He was to become a pioneer of the French aviation, and it is said that the invention of the hydroplane is owed to him. It is a curious fact that the first international raid over the Atlantic had Funchal’s port as its destination. The raid took place on March 22nd of 1921. The flight Lisbon – Funchal was conducted by the pilots Sacadura Cabral, Gago Coutinho and Ortins Bettencourt. They were accompanied by the mechanic Roger Soubiran, in a F3, equipped with Rolls-Royce motors. The journey served as a testing flight for the year to come from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro.
By the end of World War Two the first regular airplanes landed at Funchal’s bay. The inaugural flight by Aquilla Airways took place on March 15th 1949. From May 15th hydroplanes coming from Southampton landed at Funchal’s bay.

Source: Funchal 500 Anos

On May 2005, my wife and I spent six days in Madeira Island. We were enchanted by its people, by the marvelous panoramas, by so many thousands of flowers, and also by its monuments and works of art. It was a fantastic trip!

On the last day of our stay in Madeira, we went to the most historical place in Madeira, which is located in Funchal harbor. We visited the small island which is now called the Forte of São José da Pontinha.

It was our guide Mr. Renato Barros (high school teacher) who is the legal owner of this small fort. He took us to the top platform of the fort, from where we could see on the Atlantic side, a triangular anchor and steps carved by João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, and their sailors after July 1st, 1419.

Due to the dense forest that Madeira presented itself in 1419, the new discoverers, without knowing the dangers that might exist inside the forest, they decided to build a cave inside of this small island and therefore creating a fort with a shelter. For several years this dock served for people to get into Madeira and also to leave it.

As I contemplated this triangular anchor and the steps on this small island, my brain went all over the world to recall small islands and famous places where man put his feet for the first time:

(1) It took 550 years after João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira stepped on the triangular anchor, for the American Neil Armstrong to put his foot on the surface of the moon , on July 20, 1969 when he said: “That‘s a small step for man; one giant leap for mankind!”

(2) 79 years later, on May 20, 1498, Vasco da Gama put his feet on Calicut, India , finally realizing the dream of Prince Henry the navigator to connect Portugal to India by sea!

(3) 81 years later, in 1500, Pedro Álvares Cabral, put his feet on Porto Seguro, at 14 degrees latitude south, when he discovered officially Brazil.

(4) 92 years later in 1511, the navigator Miguel Corte Real engraved on Dighton Rock , located in Berkley, Massachusetts, U. S. A., his name, the Portuguese National symbols, and four crosses of the Order of Christ similar to the one that appears on the flag of Madeira.

(5) 201 years later the English Pilgrims put their feet on Plymouth Rock located in the State of Massachusetts . U. S. A. , and this historical event originated the most celebrated holiday in America called “Thanksgiving”.

(6) There are other small islands which are famous because of the buildings they possess. The castle of Almoural built on a small island in the middle of Tagus river, constructed by the Portuguese Templars after 1160.

(7) The Tower of Belém , Portuguese National Monument , was built in a small island in the Lisbon Harbor , between 1515 to 1521. It has many Crosses of the Order of Christ with extremities terminating at 45 degrees.

(8) The island of Bedloe in the large New York Harbor was the world famous and admired Statue of Liberty stands, since 1886.

(9) The Yelala Rocks engraved by Diogo Cão on the margins of the Congo River, in Africa , in 1448. The rock of Sao Lourenço in Sri-Lanka, engraved by Portuguese discovers in 1518, The Padrões, or Portuguese Discovery Markers, placed by Diogo Cão, along the western coast of Africa, and so many other monuments in so many places by the Portuguese discoverers.

(10) In the City Island, in Paris, France, where the famous Notre Dame Cathedral was built, there exist in front of it on the pavement a cupper circumference with a diameter about three feet. It is from this spot that all the geographic distances in France are measured.

Here is the triangular anchor made out of the maritime rock by João Gonçalves Zarco and his crew after July 1st, 1419.

On this photo we still see the TRIANGULAR ANCHOR and the steps carved on the rock of the small island by the first navigators.

Conclusion:
The triangular anchor on the Fort of São José made by João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, 586 years ago should become the geographic symbol of the EPICENTER OF MADEIRA, similar to the epicenter at Notre Dame of Paris, France !

The greatest mathematician Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the Geodesic Dome, said that the TRIANGLE is the geometric figure which is the strongest on the surface of the earth. The people of Madeira could not get a better icon than the TRIANGULAR ANCHOR — to symbolize their excellent qualities of a people with determination to be successful in their endeavors!

This is the English translation of Chapter XX of our Portuguese Edition entitled “Cristóvão Colon was Portuguese!”