1. SUGAR CANE (In the 1400s and 1500s)
At the beginning of
its settlement, some agricultural crops, such as cane sugar, were introduced,
which quickly afforded the Funchal metropolis frank economic prosperity. In the
fifteenth century, Madeira starts planting sugar cane imported from Sicily by
Dom Henrique. With the rapid expansion of the sugar cane industry, Funchal
becomes a commercial center of excellence, attended by traders of various
nationalities, which changes its insular financial dimension. This meant that,
in the second half of the fifteenth century into sixteenth century, the city of
Funchal became a mandatory port of call for European trade routes. In 1472, the
Madeira sugar starts being directly exported to Flanders, which became its main
redistribution center. Madeira assumes particular importance in the axis of
these relations between Flanders and Portugal. With the production of sugar
cane, Madeira attracted adventurers and traders from the most remote origins,
this exploration was considered at the time as the main engine of Madeira's
economy. Many foreigners travelled to the region for the sugar business,
especially Italians, Basques, Catalans and Flemish people. The marketing of
sugar in Madeira reached its peak in the 1520s which coincided with the timing
of most Flemish works of art to the island, in a commercial environment of
prosperity. Works of gigantic proportions were imported, mostly paintings,
ostentatious mixed altarpieces or triptychs, as well as major images from
Bruges, Antwerp and Malines. Silver and copper objects, and gravestones with
metal inlays were imported from Flanders and Hainaut, such as those in the
Funchal Cathedral and in Museums such as the one of Sacred Art. Until the first
half of the sixteenth century, Madeira was one of the major sugar markets of
the Atlantic. However, there were several reasons for the decline of this
culture and gave way to other markets.
