The Convent of Santa Clara is a working Franciscan convent founded in the late 15th century by Branca Teixeira, granddaughter of the explorer Zarco. The church and cloister are the oldest substantial buildings on the island, and the blue-and-white azulejo tiles that line the cloister walls date from the 17th and 18th centuries — an accumulated visual history of Madeiran tile-making across two periods.
The convent sits on the steep hillside above the old town, reached by a long stairway from the Rua de Santa Clara. Access is limited to guided visits, usually run in the mornings on weekdays. The Franciscan sisters who live here have made particular efforts to preserve Madeiran sacred music, and occasional evening concerts are offered in the church — worth checking before you go.