The Madeira City Of Funchal And Its Link To Ancient Greece

The island of Madeira was discovered by the Portuguese adventurer Joao Goncalves Zargo in 1418. The island was bountiful with natural resources and extensively forested. The latter fact prompted its name, Madeira, which in Portuguese is the word for wood. Once explored, that this mid-Atlantic natural paradise was unavoidably going to become a notable slice in Portugal's destiny was as good as inevitable as it provided a transit stop-off point for ships that were bound for the African continent.

Therefore, a fledgling settlement was established at the site of a natural deep water harbour on the island's south seaboard.

The new coastal community began to expand and appropriately adopted as its first Governor, Joao Goncalves Zargo. The settlement's development was partly due to its location on the global stage, part way between Continental Europe and the African coast and the soon to be discovered America.

Nevertheless, it is also speculated that Zargo recognised the potential for profiting from the economic potential of the island's natural resources. Be that as it may, it is clear that Zargo was knowledgeable of the profusion of fennel plants that flourished nearby to his freshly established village. The humble herbs, belonging to the Foeniculum vulgare genus, were already known to the Portuguese people, and were called funcho. Indeed, the fennel plant was so widespread that the new settlement rapidly adopted the name of Funchal.

That this plant should, in essence, be responsible for the naming of a nearby habitation was not an unique event in the annuals of human history.

In the antiquated syllabic Greek script referred to as Linear B, the name for fennel is maratuwo. John Chadwick, a celebrated twentith century English linguist, identified maratuwo as giving rise to the name of the location Marathon, famous for the Battle of Marathon which took place some 500 years before Christ.

Added to this, in the renown Portuguese Encyclopedia it is noted in an entry by Maximiliano de Lemos, a 19th century professor of the recent history of medicines at Porto University, that they were various places in mainland Portugal that bore, or once had, the name of Funchal.

Latterly, the Chronography of Portugal Mainland and Islands references two dozen sites and villages that are veritably linked in some way with the name of Funchal.

Of defining curiosity is the village of Ameixoeira which is situated just about 6 kilometers from Lisbon in the municipality of Olivais, in the parish of Lumiar. This village is referred to in the thorough Ancient and Modern Portugal, by Pinho Leal.

The Ancient and Modern Portugal work is loosely described as a dictionary. To be pedantic, it comprises of 12 volumes detailing facts of locations in Portugal, sorted alphabetically by name of towns, villages and parishes. Every individual listing is sprinkled with information on the monuments, principal events, anniversaries, outstanding citizens and the family trees of notable families that are associated with each location. Much of the information is based upon ecclesiastical records. Be that as it may, its correctness is occasionally treated as questionable as it is also known to include information that was gleaned from the personal memories of individual dignitaries linked to the church.

Started in 1873, Pinho Leal dedicated himself to his literary work until his demise in 1884. Regretfully, he did not live to complete the work. The last book in the set was completed by Pedro Augusto Ferreira in 1890.

For the listing for the village of Ameixoeira, it is said that it bore an earlier name of Funchal. It seems that there was an old chapel called Our Lady of Funchal, which held the distinction of being the parish church until 1664 when it was rebuilt and enlarged. The original, simple chapel is believed to commemorate a Christan victory over the Moors that took place on the exact place the foundation stone was laid. Travelling even further back in time, the area is reported to have been referred to by ancient Goths and Moors as Mixo ou Mixio.

Whatever the correct status of this latter fact, it demonstrates the argument that place names regularly develop through the centuries and their precise origins are sometimes woven into the tangle of passing time, the unravelling of which is apart from steadfast, unambiguous facts.

Be that as it may, that the fennel herb should be closely connected to places carrying its name is not unexpected taking into account the role that the plant has played throughout human progress. In point of fact, at the present time, fennel is extensively grown for its edible, distinctly flavoured leaves and fruits and it is considered to have various beneficial properties.

Looking to our forebears, the Florence fennel is perhaps the most important constituent ingredient for absinthe, a well-liked French libation that has its heritage linked to a curative mixture. Whilst other fennel extracts are claimed to placate indigestion, improve eyesight, help reduce high blood pressure and treat chronic coughs. Further, finely ground fennel is thought to bestow flea protection.

In addition to this, all parts of the different fennel herb variants have given humankind wide cooking related uses throughout the centuries, particularly in the Indian subcontinent - the region most involved its commercial production today.

Currently, Madeira's capital city of Funchal may be the leading city that has been called after the humble fennel. If that will continue, who knows? Do not discount the possibility that a different city somewhere on Earth will someday boast that honour.

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