Gaula (Madeira) Gaula (Madeira) Gaula is a Portuguese civil parish, in the municipality of Santa Cruz in the island of Madeira. The population in 2011 was 4,028, in an area of 6.95 km². It is located northeast of the island capital of Funchal. Gaula's history is tied to universe of local history, popular culture, literature, traditions and customs; it was originally referred to as the "terra do amadis de Gaula" ("Land of Amadis de Gaula"), "terra de adelos” ("Land of the wandering salesmen"), "terras de doutores" ("Lands of the Doctors"), "terra de padres" ("Land of Priests"), "terra das amoras" ("Land of the
History of Madeira and, Madeira being described, they made for it, and took possession on behalf of the Portuguese crown, together with captain Bartolomeu Perestrello. The islands started to be settled circa 1420 or 1425. On September 23, 1433, the name "Ilha da Madeira" (Madeira Island or "island of the wood") appears in a map, by the first time, in a document. The three captain-majors had led, in the first trip, the respective families, a small group of people of the minor nobility, people of modest conditions and some old prisoners of the kingdom. To gain the minimum conditions for the development of