Rua de João de Tavira is one of the busiest streets in Funchal, together with Rua dos Ferreiros which is paralell to it. It begins in front of the Sé. There are references to this street in the final of the 16th century, as it was already mentioned in the plants of the city. The origin of the street name has to do with the baptism name of a notary that used to live there, in the previous century.

It used to be a street with road traffic, but the street is closed to the vehicles for some years, in all its extension.

In Rua de João Tavira we can find one of the oldest pharmacies of Madeira. Nowadays, it holds the status of loja com história (history shop), promoted by Funchal City Council, the “Farmácia Portuguesa” (Portuguese Pharmacy), which still keeps the old lines of the furniture and the beautiful front of the building that stops dozens of tourists every day.

Located in a classified building, it appears that the pharmacy was rebuilt in 1924. From the architectural point of view, it is a building with historic features. At the front there are elements of the eclecticism of the first quarter of the 20^th century, with the undeniable and exuberant profusion of the decorative elements.

Although the interior of the pharmacy has some modern elements which are adapted to the existing rules, namely in terms of accessibility, part of the old furniture was preserved as well as several decorative elements that are exhibited at the lab of the pharmacy.

The closure of the street made it possible to have several café terraces along the Portuguese pavement, in which several motifs, inspired by the Madeira’s traditions, have been drawn.

Three streets connect it to Rua dos Ferreiros, which is one of the longest streets of Funchal, and at some point it is also parallel to it: Rua da Queimada de Baixo, Rua da Queimada de Cima and Rua do Bispo.