São Tiago Fort ( Contemporary Art Museum )

Located in the charming Funchal historical centre, in the heart of the astonishing Madeira Island, the São Tiago Fort is a 17th century defensive construction in a irregular star shape, that houses nowadays the town’s Contemporary Art Museum.
The Fort was built back in 1614, in order to protect the town and the Island from the Pirate attacks that were becoming more frequent, as the own Island economy was developing and originating prosperity.
Already in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Fort gets some alterations and enlargements; in the end of the 20th century, the area is adapted into a cultural space.

The Funchal’s Contemporary Art Museum presents a rich and extensive collection of Portuguese Contemporary Art since the 1960’s until nowadays, housing works of art of many renowned artists, such as Pedro Cabrita Reis, Ana Vidigal, Gäetan, Eduardo Batarda, Daniel Blaufuks, Miguel Branco, Calapez, Pedro Casqueiro, Álvaro Lapa, João Vilhena, Pedro Proença, Fernando Calhau, António Palolo, Lourdes Castro, João Queiroz, Michael Biberstein, Patrícia Garrido, among many others.

The Contemporary Art Museum offers a varied program, based mostly on temporary and rotational exhibitions, as well as other cultural activities. The Museum also offers the Educational and Pedagogic Services, a Documentation Centre and Library specialized in Contemporary Art and a Shop with exclusive items.