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 distance from Africa, and the closeness of the two islands, seem to indicate Madeira and Porto Santo, which is much smaller than Madeira itself, and to the north east of it. Tenth- or eleventh-century fragments of mouse bone found in Madeira, along with mitocondrial DNA of Madeiran mice, suggests that Vikings also came to Madeira (bringing mice with them), prior to colonisation by Portugal. There is a romantic tale about two lovers, Robert Machim and Anna d'Arfet in time of the King Edward III of England, fleeing from England to France in 1346, were driven off their course by a