Madeira celebrates 200 years of regional press

The first issue of the ‘Patriota Funchalense’ came out on 2 July 1821

The Portuguese autonomous island of Madeira is getting ready to mark two centuries since the first issue of a local newspaper was published. The first issue of the O Patriota Funchalense periodical thus gave birth to a regional media landscape dedicated to issues relevant to the Atlantic archipelago.

That first issue came out on 2 July 1821, so that day will be celebrated with two initiatives organized by the Regional Secretariat of Tourism and the regional Archive, the Madeira Press Museum and Diário de Notícias da Madeira, Portugal’s biggest regional newspaper today.

O Patriota Funchalense means 'The Patriot from Funchal', referring to the island’s capital

The original periodical might not be around anymore, but Diario de Noticias (itself founded in 1876) carries on the proud tradition of informing the Madeiran public about issues that are close to their concerns and interests.

The anniversary will be marked by two special events. On 2 July, at 5 pm, there will be a round table on the topic: “Patriota Funchalense: 200 years of the Press in Madeira”, to be held in the auditorium of the Archive.

Linked to this initiative, there will be documentary exhibitions in the Reading Room of the Archive and in the Madeira Press Museum (MIM), where the first copies of the 19-century periodical will be exhibited. It should be noted that the O Patriota Funchalense is digitized and available for consultation and research on the Regional Archive and Library platform.

Eduardo Jesus stated on the occasion that the Regional Directorate of Tourism, that he heads, “as an executive service of the regional Government, has the mission of safeguarding and disseminating the Madeira’s documentary and bibliographic heritage, promoting measures and initiatives that favour literacy and access to culture”.