To spot the Igreja de São João Evangelista, look straight ahead for a striking white church with dark stone trim, tall statues gazing from deep-set windows, and a grand, symmetrical façade dominating the square-kind of like a historic cake with a lot of architectural icing!
Now, let’s travel back in time to the 1600s, when the streets of Funchal echoed with the footsteps of Jesuit monks and the air buzzed with excitement over a spectacular new project-a church so grand that the city had never seen anything like it. Built by the Society of Jesus, this was the largest structure in Funchal for centuries, and oh, did the Jesuits want everyone to notice! As you step closer, imagine the scent of incense drifting past, and picture the sunlight bouncing off the thick layers of gold leaf and intricate woodwork inside; the decorations are so rich it feels like stepping into a treasure chest. The church marks a transition in style, from simple Mannerism to the show-off sparkle of the Baroque-you could say it’s where “subtle” went out the window! Don’t miss the blue and white tiles from the 1600s or the altar honoring the rather mysterious Eleven Thousand Virgins. And if you’re really lucky, you might catch the deep, dramatic tones of a giant organ, installed only in 2008. The building still buzzes with life, now as part of the University of Madeira, echoing with new voices-but its walls remember every whisper of the past.
