Funchal Cathedral (Sé), Madeira

Founded in 1485, Funchal's cathedral is one of Madeira's oldest buildings and a link with the island's original settlers.

Portugal's King Manuel I was so proud of his newly acquired island province that, in 1485, he decided to send one of Lisbon's top architects, Pedro Enes, to build a new cathedral for Funchal. The result, completed in 1514, is essentially a sombre building, although it is enlivened with Arabic-style architectural details.

The most lavish exterior decoration is found not around the entrance portal, as is customary, but at the east end of the church, where the roofline is decorated with pinnacles shaped like miniature minarets. These echo the shape of the spire, which is covered in glazed azulejos (tiles) that were originally intended to protect the structure from wind and rain, rather than act as decoration. The comparatively plain portal bears King Manuel I's coat of arms at the top, incorporating the red cross of the Knights Templar, of which Manuel was the Grand Master.

The cool interior of the cathedral reveals its secrets only slowly as your eyes adapt to the darkness. High above the nave is a carved wooden ceiling inlaid with geometric designs in ivory. If you look long enough, or use binoculars, you will begin to make out strange animals and exotic flowers among the designs. Easier to appreciate are the choir stalls, boldly carved with near-lifesize figures of the Apostles, painted in gold against a background of powder blue.

The Apostles are dressed in stylish hats, cloaks, tunics, boots and belts, giving us a good idea of the kind of clothes worn by prosperous Madeiran sugar merchants when the stalls were carved in the early 16th century. More entertaining scenes from contemporary life are to be found carved on the undersides of the choir seats. As well as cherubs, you will find monkeys and pigs and a porter carrying a pigskin full of wine.

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