Since 1992, the Contemporary Art Museum is located in the Fortress of São Tiago. The Fortress construction dates probably from 1614, when Don Filipe the 2nd, King of Spain, was simultaneously King of Portugal. However the first building elevations are imputed to Jerónimo Jorge, the royal fortifier who comes to the Island to replace Mateus Fernandes. Here he starts his drawings of the primitive fortress, which will only be completed by his son, Bartolomeu João, after his death on the 9th of December, 1617.

The fortress building is concluded around 1637, leading to the end of the town’s big walling, close to the fortification. At the time there was a door with a staircase that gave access to the sea.

In the 18th Century, under the commands of Governor José Correia de Sá, the fortress goes through enlargement constructions works. These works are imputed to Francisco Alincourt or to his predecessor, Tossi Columbina, having been pointed out 1767 as the possible date for the works conclusion. This enlargement enabled the Fortress to have the recognized structure that still has today, only remaining from the primitive construction, the staircases that allowed the circulation between the medium and lower terrace and the access to the reservoir.

Around 1801, during the Napoleonic War period, a group of 3500 British soldiers, under the command of General Henry Clinton, invaded the island occupying the half-abandoned local fortifications, among which is the São Tiago Fortress, back then commanded by João Manuel de Atouguia e Vasconcelos.

At the time of the great flood of 1803, the commander receives the order to accommodate at the São Tiago fortress the victims who had been homeless. Around 1806 the British detachment leaves the Island.

Already during the 19th century the construction works for the Fortress Governor’s house start. They would partially transform the building’s structure, bringing it close to what we see today. Still, in the beginning of the 20th century the fortress goes through some improvement processes, especially due to the visit of King D. Carlos 1st to Madeira. It was the headquarters of the Mobile Artillery Battery, having a section detached at the ‘Forte do Ilhéu’, which would save ships when entering Funchal’s harbour.

In the middle of the 20th century, already evacuated, the fortress is once again reorganised, this time by the Combatants Association with reconstruction works that start around 1974.

Later on, the Army Police together with the Funchal’s Lancers Group occupied the fortress and established themselves there.

Within the marks of the classified ‘Old Part of the City’ the São Tiago Fortress was classified as a Monument of Local Interest by the Portuguese Monuments Authority DGEMN (www.monumentos.pt) and submitted for recovery, restoration and reuse on July 17th, 1992. Since then, it was partially readapted to lodge the Contemporary Art Museum.