Monte Palace

Description

Monte Palace's venue has tow main attractions: The Tropical Garden and the Museum. The museum houses two permanent collections, one on minerals and one of contemporary Zimbabwe sculpture, all acquired by the current owner of the estate, Joe Berardo. The estate (and the garden's) history is longer. In the eighteenth century, an english consul bought a property south of the Monte church and turned it into a beautiful farm. In 1897, the farm was acquired and a palace-like residence was built that was later transformed into a hotel that, due to it's natural surroundings and the view over Funchal, was frequented by important people, national and foreign. In 1943, the hotel closed and the ownership passed to the financial institution "Caixa Económica do Funchal". In 1987, that institution sold the property to Joe Berardo who, in turn, donated it to the Foundation that he founded. Thus was born the Monte Palace Tropical Garden. Since then, the Tropical Garden has been enriched with endemic exotic plants from various countries as well as with native plants from the Laurissilva forest of Madeira. The lagoons were also populated with Koi fish. The garden walks are met with stonework decorations, through windows, niches, buddhas and sculptures from different parts of the world. Like the collection of tiles (XV-XX century) about "The Adventure of the Portuguese in Japan", and 40 panels that portray the History of Portugal.