HISTORICAL NOTE ON the PALACE OF IS LOURENÇO
 The Palace of Is Lourenço is, since the institution of the autonómico system, in 1976, the Official Residence of the Minister of the Republic for the Autonomous Region of the Wood. Located in the historical center of the city of the Funchal, it was classified as National Monument in 1943, for Decree 32,973, of 18 of August.
 The denomination of “Palace of a set monumental that understands Cortaleza, initiated in the first half of séc. XVI and concluded in the period Phillipino Is Lourenço” is referred it and the Palace properly said, understanding the interior halls of the noble floor that date of the last quarter of séc. XVIII and gardens. It was residence of the captains donees of the Funchal until the o period Phillipino, headquarters of the permanent Castilian force in this Island up to 1640, later residence of governing captains – general, assignment that took advantage until the a implantation of the constitutional government in 1834, having the archipelago of the last Wood to be managed by civil governors from the following year. In 1836 it was proceeded inside the separation from the Cortaleza-Palace between the military area, the east (today afecta to the Command of the Military Zone of the Wood) and the Palace, residence of the civil governor (area west, understanding the Noble Rooms, cabinets, private zone, gardens and bastions southwestern, northeast and north). From the institution of the autonómico system in 1976, the previously busy zone for the Civil Governor became it Official Residence of the Minister of the Republic for the Autonomous Region of the Wood.
Génese of the Cortaleza-Palace of Is Lourenço in century XVI and its evolution to the long one of the centuries establishs connection with the proper history of the Wood and its marcantes moments, withdrawing its antecedents to the ends of séc. XV. Granted the landlord of the Wood, with the one of the Açores, to Infant D. Enrique, the Archipelago of the Wood was divided in three Captainships – Port Saint, Machico and Funchal, come this last one, with passing of the times, to become preponderant. The initial prerogatives of the captain-donees in the administrative, judicial, fiscal scope and until militating will go to suffer, still before the regal letter from 27 April 1497, for the which D. Manuel, king and Master of the Order of Christ, become the royal Wood, gradual limitations of abilities that will accent themselves in séc. XVI, culminating with the nomination of governors from the domination Phillipino. As Capitão-Donatário of the Funchal, Gonçalves João of the Chamber, administrator of the Captainship between 1467 and 1501, successive one of the first donee, its father João Gonçalves Zarco, who played such functions between 1450 and 1467, ordered to construct a house for its residence in the place then called “Altinho of the Sources” for the fact of, here together to the sea, to sprout the “Sources of Diniz João”. He requested then authorization and deep the necessary ones for the blockhouse of the Funchal, asked for directed in 1476 the Princess D. Beatriz, to the time administrator of the Order of Christ of which he depended the Wood, but not taken care of, being renewed in 1494 the order of authorization for the construction of one surrounds, walls and a bastion with a together tower to its house of residence.
 The Captainship of the Funchal knows intense development to the long one of séc. XV. The geographic conditions and the importance of its capital, center of the sugar production and important commercial port, made village in 1451, city in 1508 and bispado headquarters of in 1514, cabalmente justified the necessity of if proceeding to its blockhouse. Only in 1513, already in time of third Capitão-Donatário, Simão Gonçalves of the Chamber, that managed the Captainship of the Funchal between 1501 and 1530, he was João of Cáceres, “master of the real workmanships”, person in charge to proceed to the intended blockhouse.
 It is traditionally has accepted that these had had immediate beginning, even so its conclusion alone came to occur no longer reigned of D. João III, by whom the primitive nucleus of Cortaleza is associated the D. Manuel I, wants for the fact of in 1513 having this definitive monarch its construction, wants for the weapons in would sing regional of great dime