Cooperage

Cooperage was once a relatively important industry in the region, given the intrinsic relationship with winemaking and the success of Madeira wine abroad, with the Madeira coopers being responsible for manufacturing all the containers used in the warehouses and for shipping the wine that was exported.

Today we can still find Rua dos Tanoeiros, where until the last century this industry flourished in downtown Funchal. It is said that the cooperages were concentrated here by municipal imposition, due to the noise generated by the artisans who worked in Terreiro da Sé.

In the manufacture of barrels and other similar containers, wooden staves fitting together are used to create the cylindrical shaped container. These must be kept tight and leak-free; that is why a series of iron rings are used, the number of which varies, depending on the size of the container.