The typical houses of Santana, also known as thatched roof houses, are historical buildings whose origins date back to the century when Madeira was discovered. Although small, they were able to guarantee some well-being and comfort to the less well-off people of this autonomous region.
Typical Santana Houses in Madeira, Portugal
Casas Típicas de Santana en Madeira, Portugal
Typische Santana-Häuser in Madeira, Portugal
It was in the north of the island that these colourful houses were born, made from materials that the Madeirans could quickly obtain by working in the fields. Wood is usually used for the house’s structure and façades, while heather, wicker and thatch are used for the roofing and security inside. The presence of thatch in the little houses of Santana came from the cultivation of cereals which, besides safeguarding the bread on the table, were used to form the roof of these remarkable dwellings. The process of tilling started with the selection of different types of wheat, which had to be firm. The straw was placed from bottom to top, being later necessary to trim it.
葡萄牙马德拉岛典型的桑塔纳房屋
منازل سانتانا النموذجية في ماديرا ، البرتغال
Maisons Typiques de Santana à Madère, Portugal
Santana’s houses are well known from the outside for their triangular shape and unique colouring. Nowadays, it is less common to find these houses with the traditional interior design, which is gradually being forgotten by the younger generations and the constant changes that have been made to them. These typical houses in Madeira contain a loft, closer to the roof, which kept the house warm in winter and very cool in summer. In this room was the bedroom, used by the whole family. The ground floor known in Madeira as “loja” had a humble living room and a cellar, which in some cases also allowed the storage of food such as bread and flour. Note that the kitchen should be separated from the upper floor, to protect the thatch from fire. In some cases, Santana’s houses had a kitchen in a small outdoor complex.
Casas Típicas de Santana na Madeira, Portugal
Типичные дома Сантаны на Мадейре, Португалия
Typowe Domy Santana na Maderze, Portugalia
The dimensions of the houses in Santana are very variable, since each family built their house according to their possessions and the land they had at their disposal. The average dimensions are:
- Length: 7 metres
- Width: 4.64 meters
- Height: 4.4 metres
- Angle: 60º
The maintenance of Santana houses must be constant and requires some attention to the thatch, which needs to be replaced every 4 or 5 years. This is because the heavy rain in winter and the high temperatures in summer can damage the straw. Despite its frailties, thatch offered advantages that ensured some quality of life for Madeiran families who tilled the land. Besides being a very light and quickly accessible material, it ensured a good indoor temperature in a very humid area of the island.
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