Principality of Pontinha


The Principality of Pontinha is a micronation on an islet connected to Madeira Island, Portugal by a port. The fortified islet was proclaimed an independent principality in 2007 by Renato Barros, self-entitled as Prince Renato, the owner of the piece of land.

History

The islet and its fort were property of the Portuguese state until king Carlos I of Portugal sold the islet on 9 October 1903 to the Blandy family of Madeira, traditionally involved in winemaking. The money was needed by the king to develop the port of Funchal.
In 2000, the Madeiran art teacher Renato de Barros bought the islet and fort from the Blandys for 9,000 contos, with the aim of studying wave power. In November 2007, Renato Barros presented a "request for the detachment of the Principality of the Island of Pontinha" to Monteiro Diniz, the sovereign's representative in the Autonomous Region of Madeira. Subsequently, Renato Barros declared the independence of the islet, calling it the Principality of Pontinha and entitling himself its Prince. According to Barros, at the time of the sale of the islet by the king, a royal charter was issued to the buyer, granting them not only the possession of the islet but also the "dominion" over it.
The Royal Charter of 26 October 1903 reads as follows:
In December 2015, bitcoin became the official currency of the country.
In 2016, a documentary entitled A Sovereign Dream about Renato Barros and his Principality was released in the Madeira Film Festival.
In February 2017, José Manuel Coelho, a Madeiran politician known for his bizarre deeds, asked for political asylum in the self-declared principality, which was granted by the self-proclaimed Prince Renato Barros.

Works cited