But during the nineteenth century, two serious epidemics attacked Madeira vines, causing losses. In order to try and hold the international wine market of Madeira, they tried planting more resistant varieties, although of lower quality. The characteristic spaces for manufacturing, aging and storage of wine, which once proliferated, may still be found in some wineries. The memory of objects and contexts related to the wine sector is presented to us in institutions such as the Instituto do Vinho da Madeira, H.M. Borges and the Madeira Wine Company.
However throughout the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries, Madeira flourished because of the birth of the tourism
sector, quickly becoming a mandatory reference for the European aristocracy
that set temporary residence here, attracted by the natural therapeutic
qualities of the island. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Madeira
stands out for its climate and therapeutic effects. As of the second half of
the eighteenth century, Madeira becomes a resort of therapeutic ends, using the
preventive qualities of its climate to cure tuberculosis.
In the nineteenth century, visitors
to the island integrated four major groups: patients, travellers, tourists and
scientists. Most visitors belonged to the moneyed aristocracy, with an endless
list of aristocrats, princes, princesses and monarchs. Already during the
seventeenth century, the increase of sea routes and interest in botany led to
the introduction of new plants, which were acclimatized to the Island and
enriched the gardens of homes and, in particular, of the estates which arose
around the city.
The island’s
mild climate, with a somewhat constant temperature all day round, and its weak
daylight and annual temperature range, are attractive qualities to advertise
Madeira as a recommended and highly sought after island. Madeira’s fame in the
therapeutic tourism quickly spread throughout Europe and the island took
advantage of the European instability of the time, where liberal wars block the
access roads to health resorts of southern Italy and France. The maritime
traffic to such areas, with English, German and Russian nationals, ends up
being diverted to Madeira which, of course, has a very positive outcome.
Throughout
the nineteenth century, Madeira witnessed the socialising of poets, writers,
politicians and aristocrats. The island remained, for a long time, as the
resting site for these patients. Nowadays, it is considered to be Europe’s
first and main cure and convalescence resort. The increasingly assiduous
presence of these patients, emphasized the need to create more supporting
infrastructures: sanatoriums, lodging and agents who served as intermediaries between
these outsiders and owners of such spaces.
Tourism, as we understand it today, was taking its first steps. In Madeira, the main port and city no longer monopolized the attention of
travellers: walks and horse rides enabled incursions to the inner part of the
island. In the late 1840s the first steps were taken to create a set of
supporting infrastructures within the island. However, it is only in 1887 that
the first adequate network of inns, outside of Funchal, begin to appear. The
presence of these units did not put an end to the traditional hospitality of
existing homes and estates in Funchal, further south. As a result of a high
demand for the season, there was a need to prepare guides for visitors. The
first tourist guide of Madeira appeared in 1850 and focused on elements of
history, geology, flora, fauna and customs of the island. Regarding hotel
infrastructures, the British and the Germans were the first to launch the
Madeiran hotel chain.
In the first
half of the twentieth century attention focused on air transport.The opening to
the world, via this route starts with the seaplanes, which began operating on
15th May 1949, with equipment of “Aquila Airways”. Subsequently, it is followed
by Artop until 1958. During this period, 32,838 passengers
disembarked on the island.
In 1960, the airport on the island of Porto Santo opens and the Madeira
Archipelago now has a regular air service between the two islands for the first
time. Previously, the connection between the two islands was done by boat, with
the “Lisbonense” and “Cedros” Ferryboats.
In 1964, Madeira tourism gains greater projection, with the construction of the
Santa Catarina Airport, with a 1,600-meters long runway. The new infrastructure
allows aircrafts to operate on the island, benefiting from domestic,
international and charter flights, managed to transport, at the time, large
numbers of tourists.
