The recent presentation of an image of Our Lady with Child, possibly a piece missing from Funchal Cathedral for 460 years, raises concerns about the whereabouts of other sacred artworks in Madeira. Francisco António Clode Sousa, Director of Cultural Heritage Services, proposed the hypothesis, though without documentary confirmation.
Father Marcos Gonçalves, vicar-general of the Diocese of Funchal, confirmed that the Diocese does not have an exhaustive list of missing works, despite an outdated inventory. News archives reveal this is not an isolated incident.
In 1995, Father Rafael Andrade reported thefts of several pieces, including a gold medallion and a silver rosary from Santa Maria Maior church, as well as paintings and other items from the Corpo Santo Chapel. In 1992, a gold crown from the Our Lady of the Mount statue disappeared, and 15 years later, its whereabouts remained unknown, as they did in 2011, despite the recovery of another stolen statue from the same area.
