The MADEIRAN HERITAGE program brings together the cultural and touristic values promoted by the University of Madeira Students' Union in partnership with the Madeiran Heritage Engagement Group. The program is implemented through the promotion of several monuments and attractions in Funchal, where a wide range of services is offered, with particular emphasis on the free educational visits provided to schools and educational institutions throughout the region. In addition, MADEIRAN HERITAGE offers, free of charge, music performances, exhibitions, cultural tours, audio guides, self-guided history circuits, and other initiatives.

The Jesuits’ College of Funchal, the Church of St. John the Evangelist, the Town Hall of Funchal, the Legislative Assembly of Madeira, the Monastery of Santa Clara, the historic centre of the city, and Quinta Vigia are some of the monuments and attractions included in our program.

Through our cultural and historical circuits, our colleagues help deepen visitors’ understanding of the region’s valuable tangible and intangible heritage, allowing them to explore how these monuments—and those who inhabited them—helped shape our society. The University of Madeira Students’ Union funds this program and relies on the support of its visitors, donors, patrons, and volunteers. Income from visits has enabled the financing of various social support and volunteering initiatives, benefiting not only students of the University of Madeira but also the wider local and regional community.

The MADEIRAN HERITAGE program is broad and multifaceted, featuring volunteer contributions to environmental responsibility initiatives, such as tree planting, awareness campaigns, and the conservation of Madeira’s Laurissilva forest and native flora. It also includes volunteering at the GAUDEAMUS Café, a facility created to foster synergies that support the preservation of our tangible and intangible heritage.

Winner of several national and international awards, including the Good Practices Award for Youth Associativism, granted by the Portuguese Institute of Youth and Sports, and the University Volunteer Award, promoted by Santander, MADEIRAN HERITAGE continues to invest in the training of its team and the excellence of its services.

Get to know more about the MADEIRAN HERITAGE program by viewing this video.