THE ORIGINS OF TOURISM IN MADEIRA

The Origins of Tourism in Madeira — Quintas and Hotels from the Collection of the Photographia Museu — “Vicentes”, written by Rui Campos Matos, is a historiographical and architectural work that investigates the very beginnings of tourism on the Island of Madeira. The book develops its research by crossing written records of the time—such as travel diaries of foreign visitors and antique tourist guides—with the valuable photographic heritage of the 19th and 20th centuries preserved in the “Vicentes” Museum. Throughout its pages, the author meticulously analyzes the transformations in the landscape and urbanism of Funchal, documenting the evolution of the first accommodation spaces, with a particular focus on the transition from traditional country estates (quintas) to the first large hotel properties. Published in a bilingual format (Portuguese and English), this work serves as an essential scientific and visual document on the birth of therapeutic tourism on the island and the preservation of its collective memory.