Funchal is the capital of Madeira, Portugal. It was founded by João Gonçalves Zarco in 1421 and elevated to city by King Manuel I of Portugal in 1508. In the sixteenth century, Funchal has been an important transit point between India and New World, and
was considered to be a place of wholeness. It was also the origin of sugar and Madeira wine. Between 1892 and 1905, Portugal has issued a series of postage stamps with the inscription "Funchal", but returned to the name of Madeira.