Funchal is referred to as the first European city outside of Europe. The uninhabited Madeira Islands were claimed for the Kingdom of Portugal in 1418 but they were known and mapped on sea atlases before then. Indeed the humble house mouse of Madeira has its origins in northern Europe rather than Portugal as evidenced by recent DNA studies which suggest possible Viking visits to Madeira from 900-1036 AD.
With a dark history combining African slaves with sugar cane production and processing from the later 1400s Madeira is a key place in the development of colonial systems and economies which spread across the Atlantic. Wine, transport and tourism all developed subsequently but from the 1520s-1940s the military fortifications of Funchal were important strategic factors in the security and development of Portugals economy as Madeira linked Portugal to trade both to the west and the east.
