Painted door in Funchal.

Painted door in Fnchal.

A few years ago the old part of Funchal was fading away and shops were closing up and business moving in to the malls, leaving the old part of town partly deserted.

That was when some innovative artists got the idea to first paint the doors of the abandoned buildings and later on other doors in the old part of town with the owners permission and the painted doors has really helped the old part of Funchal.

Painted door in Funchal.

Painted door in Funchal.

The result has been that the old part of Funchal has become the places to hang out if you are hip and shops are opening again and more and more trendy cafes and bars are opening up there, as well as several art galleries.

I’m really happy to see how the painted doors of Funchal has brought this wonderful part of town back to life and I’m happy to see that they have let the young freethinkers roam this part of town with all their quirky talent.

Today you have dozens of doors there decorated in various ways by both local and foreign artists and the art ranges from classical paintings to very modern paintings and art works.

This is really a wonderful initiative in a place that normally tends to be quite conservative, but it’s great to see that they have opened up to this by opening their doors to the artists.

I hope initiatives like this will spread to other parts of the world where the traditional economy is fading so that towns and cities do not have the life sucked out of them just because life today is not like it was in the past.

Arty door in Funchal.

Arty door in Funchal.

Painted door in Funchal.

Painted door in Funchal.

Bar in the old part of Funchal.

Bar in the old part of Funchal.

Art gallery in Funchal.

Art gallery in Funchal.

Art gallery in Funchal.

Art gallery in Funchal.

Painted door in Funchal.

Painted door in Funchal.

One of my favorite doors in Funchal.

One of my favorite doors in Funchal.

Painted door in Funchal.

Painted door in Funchal.

Painted door in Funchal.

Painted door in Funchal.

Vintage bar in Funchal.

Vintage bar in Funchal.

Grocery store in Funchal.

Grocery store in Funchal.

Funchal is the capital of Madeira Island which belongs to Portugal and the island is served by several airlines daily from both Europe and the Americas.

 

12 Comments

  1. Great post, Claus! As I said on FB, it was sad to see so many old houses in Funchal centre abandoned, I am happy locals had this idea!

  2. These are stunning, I love the way all over the world they are starting to embrace street art 🙂

  3. I adore street art. It is one of my favorite things to experience as I travel. I will have to add this Island to my list. I never would have known. Thank you for sharing. -Alexandra

    Simply Alexandra: My Favorite Things

  4. These are fantastic! love seeing street art like this in places I travel to..thanks for sharing 🙂

  5. Great post, I love street art and these are fantastic examples – thanks for capturing and sharing 🙂

  6. Gunilla Woiski

    This street is a must for a visit every year I spend my holiday in Madeira

  7. Gorgeous photos. My favorite is the first one! Great way to turn something negative to positive.

  8. I love pictures of doors and they look pretty awesome. Great post!

  9. Very cool. No one tells us these tips thats why I love blogs.. I will definitely make a note of this while going to Portugal.. Thanks

  10. This is a great idea to revitalize the area. I’m such a fan of street and urban art.

  11. I love this! Street art can make such a difference in an urban gloomy environment.

  12. What a great way to turn things around. I so appreciate creative initiative.

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