Museum goes out on the street

Museum Henrique e Francisco Franco celebrates, coming August 21st, its 30th anniversary.

During the year, the Funchal council has a number of events on the cultural calendar designed to commemorate the date, with a special focus being on the outdoor museum, “in” which one plans to setup part of the valuable collection of sketches, drawings and sculptures of late 19th and early 20th century, part of this museum’s collection, made by brothers Henrique and Francisco Franco, one a painter, the other a sculptor.

It was recently revealed that in 2016 the number of visitors in the museum increased by 15 percent, reaching almost 3 thousand people, with the number of guided tours also increasing.

Despite the numbers, visitors mostly come from out of Madeira, and are especially British of German, but initiatives which have taken place in the last three years have made the number of locals increase.

Funchal mayor Paulo Cafofo stressed, about the its thirty years, that “the museum was a little forgotten”, and after the council decided to divulge culture and the museums of Funchal, “we tried to reopen the doors of this structure to the city”.

The mayor praised the educational service of the museum, that throughout the year maintains a strong link with the school community, but added that despite these rooted connections, we didn’t want the Henrique and Francisco Franco museum to be a stranger to inhabitants of the city, which is why the council is promoting a number of activities with the aim of awakening people’s curiosity.

In 2016 there was an Easter Eggs’ chase, and a Glory Game based on pieces on show, as well as the initiative “Bring your grandparents to the museum”, that were opened to the whole population. Last year there were 32 commeorative events and theme days organized within the museum.