Câmara Municipal de Machico (Machico Town Hall)

Town Hall in Machico (Madeira)

The Machico Town Hall building, constructed in 1929 and situated in Largo do Município / ER 212, is a two-storey property with a quadrangular plan. Displaying erudite and neoclassical influences, the building is constructed using plastered stone masonry painted white. Dark grey paint accents the mouldings of the openings, basement, cymbal, balcony console, and balustrade.

The façade features five doors on the ground floor, with the three central doors set further back, providing access to a small patio adorned with white and black marble in a checkerboard design. On the upper floor, organized symmetrically, the more advanced sections house two large windows each, while the central part includes a large semi-detached window flanked by two simpler windows, leading to the balcony protected by a balustrade. The central body, set further back, is topped by a discontinuous curved pediment with an armillary sphere inscribed with a crown—the royal arms of the municipality, matching those of King D. Manuel I when Duke of Beja and Grão-Master of the Order of Christ.

The West façade includes two doors and four ground-floor windows with green sun shades. On the upper floor, three large windows similar to those on the main facade are present, along with a balcony protected by an iron guard.

The east façade features four first-floor windows with green sun shades, two doors, and two crate gates. On the second floor, five windows with green shades are found. In front of this facade lies the Municipal Garden, featuring pebble-paved paths and notable Abyssinian coralline and kapok trees.

Internally, the building’s “Hall” showcases two neoclassical columns painted white, once marbled (escaiola). Six doors open to side rooms, and a wide wooden staircase with a central flight and two symmetrical side flights provides access to the first floor. Plaster ceilings, a checkered design on the floor of the porticoed balcony extending into the interior, and the Main Hall with a false neoclassical architecture drawing on the walls contribute to the building’s interior aesthetic. The roof is hipped in Marseille tiles.

The Câmara Municipal de Machico (Machico Town Hall) appears in our Complete Guide to Visiting Machico (Madeira)!

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