Calçada Madeirense – Madeira’s Mosaic Pavements

Funchal Mosaic Pavements

There are countless things to see and do in Funchal. In fact, something worth paying attention to might be right under your feet – Calçada Madeirense. Madeira’s mosaic pavements, found all over the city, adds a certain “je ne sais quoi” to the charming city. All the various mosaic pavements create a sort of outdoor exhibition, where one walks on the art instead of just looking at it.

The patterned pavements in Funchal hint to Lisbon’s textured streets, despite Madeira’s geographical proximity to Africa. The walk streets and sidewalks pay homage to the local culture and are a work of art that is sometimes overlooked. The mosaic tiles pavements are mostly composed of black and white stones but can also occasionally include red stones.

It is not unusual to see the pavements lie unevenly on the ground as growing tree roots can sometimes push the stones upward. Moreover, the pavements can become extremely slippery when the weather is humid. Therefore, we highly suggest you walk slowly and carefully if it ever rains during your stay.

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Calçada Madeirense

Interestingly, the Madeira Mosaic is anterior to the world famous Portuguese Mosaic (Source).

Now that you are done reading this article, go check out Funchal and its beautiful tiled pavements!