The story of a modern patron of the arts and his fulfilled dream
If you missed part one – here it is: The Gardens of Funchal – Part One
Paraphrasing the postulate: all roads lead to Rome... in this case – „Monte Palace“.
You can't miss it.
During its existence, it has changed several owners. It is currently inhabited by the Berardo Foundation – the organization that cares for and manages the park.
Built in the 18th century, the palace rather resembles a suburban residence that houses a museum, but personally I decided to devote all my time to the tropical paradise.
Every owner has contributed to the floral splendor around. But the last ruler, the businessman José Berardo, is the creator of this garden, which happened in the late 1980s.
In the 18th century the English consul Charles Murray buys property south of the church in Monte and turns it into a beautiful estate, then called, mind you: „Quinta do Prazer“ („The Estate of Pleasures“).
Towards the end of the 19th century, some of Madeira's wealthiest families lived in elegant manors located on Monte hill, near Funchal.
In 1897, Alfredo Guilherme Rodrigues bought the property and, inspired by the palaces he had once seen on the banks of the Rhine River, built a palace-like residence that was later turned into a hotel called Monte Palace.
„The Inn“ it was visited by prominent people – local and foreign wealthy individuals who appreciated the flora and the wonderful views of Funchal on their merits.
In 1943. Alfredo Guilherme Rodrigues resting. Unfortunately, his family did not take over his endeavor, which led to the closure of the hotel, which in the meantime was taken over by a financial institution – „Caixa Económica do Funchal“.
Thus we reach 1987, when the aforementioned financial institution sells the Monte Palace hotel to the entrepreneur José Manuel Rodrigues Berardo.
And the Monte Palace Madeira emerges„
Care is taken and exotic plants from distant lands are being revived: cycads and proteas from South Africa, azaleas from Belgium, heather from Scotland. With great respect and dignity, native plants from the Madeira forest are presented and take their rightful place, namely Laurissilva, such as ferns, cedars, laurels, Canary Island laurels, etc.
Fish find shelter in the existing lakes „Koi“.
Two more water reservoirs with a capacity of 300,000 liters of water have also been built. They include a complex filtration system and a water purifier, without the use of chemicals, which provide a healthy habitat for the fish.
The garden paths are decorated with coats of arms, square stones, windows, niches, pagodas, Buddhas, lanterns from different parts of the world, and stone sculptures.
From the top of the hill – on a spacious terrace, you can enjoy the harbor and the central part of Funchal, and take in the view of the park, which is nestled on natural terraces.
Great attention is paid to The Japanese Garden.
An entire wall of its northern part features ceramic panels dedicated to Japanese-Portuguese relations.
A funny fragment from Japan are the huge samurai statues. Where a person can peek between their legs…
The Japanese Garden – A corner of distant Japan
Bridges and terraced areas with plants typical of Japan are explained by the personal passion of the garden's founding father, José Berardo, of course, who managed to recreate the atmosphere of the distant island nation.
I cannot fail to mention the patron of the arts who spent a fortune and ultimately created this Paradise:
Jose Manuel Rodriguez Berardo.
„Joe,“ as he is also called, was born on July 4, 1944.
Adventurer, wealthy man, and eccentric personality. He considers himself a Portuguese and South African businessman, investor, and art collector.
Therefore, the fantastic collection of African stone sculptures, which sends the visitor off at the end of their walk, is by no means accidental. As is the rich geological exposition. The collection is written about here – Africa is vast
According to the Portuguese magazine Exame, his wealth was estimated in 2010 at around 598 million euros, making him one of the richest people in Portugal at the time.
His decline began around the 2010–2014 Portuguese financial crisis, when both the republic's finances and banking system collapsed, and he engaged in several speculative transactions that led to the seizure of his accounts and his companies' assets, as well as judicial investigations.
Yes, indeed – the Portuguese justice system doesn't mess around even with its rich people – this art patron was arrested in June 2021.
Berardo is a suspect (arguido status in the Portuguese legal system) and has been arrested by members of the Polícia Judiciária for alleged fraud committed against the bank Caixa Geral de Depósitos (CGD), as well as for a number of other financial machinations.
About the patron Berardo and his story
Berardo was born in Santa Luzia, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, the son of Manuel Berardo Gomes and Ana Rodrigues.
Joe drops out of school at the age of 13 and gets a low-paying job in the Madeira wine sector.
At the age of 18, he emigrated to South Africa, where he worked in horticulture and eventually established large commercial enterprises, becoming at the end of the 20th century one of the best-known and wealthiest Portuguese entrepreneurs.
In South Africa, he founded a gold mining company: Egoli Consolidated Mines Ltd. Later, he also started diamond mining.
Berardo returned to Portugal in 1986, where he went into banking and invested in this wonderful garden. It is his life's work.
I am sharing the message of the creator of the Tropical Garden to the visitors and the history of patronage. If you feel like reading, read it to the end.
This is the confession of a rich man who shares with you, the visitor, his labor, his dreams, and his aesthetic views:
„The beauty of nature has always been able to move me, to create a sense of calm within me. It was this very need that made me believe that in the abandoned Monte Palace it would be possible, with patience and perseverance, to recreate my dream, to plant it and watch it slowly grow into what is today a tropical garden.“
The plants are gathered from various continents, with special attention given to the rare collection of cycads from South Africa. Just the „cicadas“ (insects) are a good reason to visit the garden. 🙂
And continues:
„The concern for the creation of a botanical garden in Madeira, an idea romantic at the turn of the century, did not overshadow the presence of the native flora. Here you will encounter the island's typical native plants.
The desire to make a visit to Monte Palace Madeira a source of discovery led me to include a large collection of tiles in the garden space, showcasing the history of this art from the 15th century to the present day. The collection has educational purposes. A specially created wing dedicated to the history of the Portuguese kings allows children and visitors to learn about some of the most important events in our history.
I can only hope that you can share with me the pleasure I felt in creating this park, which is yours today as well, and that you can discover in it the same feeling of peace that it always manages to awaken in me.
Yes, his nature is contradictory, but he invested in a beautiful, colorful, and fragrant dream that he ultimately shared and gifted to the people.
Joe got me thinking about things…
The Monte Palace Tropical Garden
You have certainly seen wonderful photographs of the Central Lake. It is very popular among visitors and is designed so that it can be seen from almost any point in the garden. I was lucky that there were no visitors. Almost none. Yes, I was there in October. Maybe in the summer it is crowded here?!
The garden is full of secrets. There are tunnels, but unfortunately one cannot enter them. You can seclude yourself in a gazebo, naturally carved into a rock. It is full of incredible sculptures by famous artists – ancient and contemporary. This Portuguese businessman has impeccable taste.
And the flowers – they need no comment, they will surely leave you breathless.
Roses – I have never seen such types.
Orchids – whole slopes are planted with them. They fall like streams of water, cascading down from trees. You find them in pots and growing wild. What a marvel it must be in their season?!
And this tree is a poinsettia. I could never capture it all, either with my eyes or with my camera. In my experience as a gardener, I have killed more than one pot of this lovely plant. At least 13 are on my conscience, and I always warn friends not to gift them to me... In the park – they are free, independent, and lush.
And thousands of other unknown plants and flowers.
Huge wall of the English court.
I will stop writing, just enjoy my clumsy, but sincere gallery. Enjoy the walk.
More photos are here
See more for the author Maria Radeva here
