When we visited Madeira in April 2022, on the centenary of the death of Charles I, we found the building in a dilapidated state, as was reported on this platform. The villa, which has a distinctly Mediterranean feel, was ravaged by fire, with only the foundations remaining. At the time, we were told of plans by the Madeiran government to turn the building into a museum of Romanticism, yet there was no trace of construction.
By now, the entire restoration of the villa has been completed. Francisco Clode and the rest of the project’s managers have given us a thorough account of the exhibition’s envisaged concept. Since Madeira’s rise to prosperity began in the 19th century when a few adventurous English settlers discovered the beauty and richness of the Mediterranean landscape, the late Romantic age is the stylistic period that has been used to illustrate the diversity of elements associated with the villa, including, as a kind of end of an era, the evocation of Charles and his family’s time in Madeira.
The project’s proprietors have already gathered several period furniture and artefacts for the installation, and a high-quality piano has been purchased for the planned music programmes. Our Foundation has been approached for help in creating part of an exhibition recalling the day-to-day life of the imperial and royal family, which we have promised to deliver. Since Walburga Habsburg entrusted us with the diaries chronicling the family’s time in Madeira in September 2021, we have precise details on a wide range of topics, from their diet to the slightest childish shenanigans. The photographs in our collection are an outstanding illustration of all this; accordingly, there is a chance to assemble a truly compelling display through modern museological means.
