Funchal: Jesuit College

From Rua da Santa Maria, my research led us to the Funchal College of Jesuits. The article I had read described the building as worth visiting … and promised sculptures and paintings. Plus, it said that we could climb the tower — €1pp — to check out the views.

If there was a public entrance to the college building, it wasn’t apparent. But we were able to get to the tower by going in through Igreja Do Colegio [College Church] dedicated to St John the Evangelist. Apparently, construction of this Jesuit church was started in 1629 and finished in the first half of the 18th century. The nave is flanked by lateral chapels, the ceiling is painted in trompe-l’oeil, and the walls are decorated with frescoes. I found some beautiful azulejo tiles in some of the chapels … happy camper.

We found the desk where an attendant was selling the €1pp tickets. Unlike most church towers, this one isn’t particularly tall … 80 steps took us up to the viewing terrace from where we enjoyed the expansive views in all directions.

This stop turned out to be a little gem … especially since there were very few people visiting … obviously the Jesuit College is not on the must-visit list of most visitors to Funchal.Read more