“When you hear wheels on the cobblestones at midnight… close your window. Don’t look out.”

High above Funchal, where the air grows thinner and the city lights fade, lies Monte — a quiet, green hillside known for its churches, palaces, and winding stone roads. Tourists visit for the views. Locals remember something else.

A legend.

One that rides in silence.

🚪 The Sound That Shouldn’t Be

For generations, residents of Monte have whispered of a ghostly black carriage that appears on stormy or moonless nights.

It comes without warning.
No horse whinnies.
No hoofbeats.
Just the unmistakable sound of wooden wheels grinding over cobblestones… even when the roads are empty.

And then, out of the mist, it appears.

🖤 The Carriage

Always the same:

• A jet-black carriage, drawn by two horses — sometimes said to be headless, sometimes described as rotting and skeletal.

• The coachman wears a tall hat and a long coat… but no face. Some say it’s just shadow under the brim. Others say it’s a black void.

• The carriage never stops. It glides, turns corners too sharply, and disappears through walls or iron gates.

It’s often seen near the old Monte Church, abandoned paths, or even crossing the modern streets just past midnight.

👁️ Who Rides Inside?

That’s where the legend splits.

Some say the carriage ferries the soul of a cursed nobleman — a wealthy landowner who made a pact with something dark to keep his fortune. When he died, his spirit was condemned to ride forever, unable to find rest.

Others say it’s a death omen: anyone who sees the carriage directly — especially if it stops in front of their home — will lose someone close within days.

A few claim they’ve seen a woman dressed in 19th-century funeral black sitting inside the carriage, her face veiled, staring out through the glass… mouthing silent words.

⚠️ The Warnings

Local tradition says:

• Never follow the sound of wheels at night in Monte.

• Never stand in the road if you hear a carriage but see nothing.

• If the horses appear headless — run. That means it’s come for a soul.

Even today, taxi drivers and night shift workers occasionally report strange shadows on the road, or the sudden chill of air as if something passed through.

They don’t stop.
They don’t talk about it.
And they don’t wait to see if the sound is real.