The Attack on Funchal

In 1566, an expedition led by Jean Bertrand de Monluc landed near Funchal carrying with it between eight hundred to nine hundred pirates. Because the city was not well defended due to the lack of weapons and soldiers, a surprise attack on Funchal would prove to be an easy task. To top this off there was an ‘inside man’ who was Portuguese and who knew the Madeiran terrain well. His efforts cost him his life when he was later hanged for treason in Lisbon. Despite the weak defense, Monluc was seriously wounded and as a result, died after three days. After sixteen days of pillaging, the pirates finally abandoned Funchal. Over two hundred inhabitants were killed, homes and plantations were destroyed, churches were set on fire and looting became so widespread that even the nuns from the convent of Santa Clara fled to the mountains, taking with them as much treasure as they could carry from the convent. Reinforcements arrived in Lisbon eighteen days later. By then, the pirates were long gone. The eight pirate ships left Madeira, carrying with them loads of furniture, clothes, jewelry, and three hundred slaves. Their next destination would take them to the Canary Islands.