Is Ronaldo a Moor?

Madeira, this once unknown island on the map, became known to the world because of Cristiano Ronaldo.

This small island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is far away from the Portuguese mainland and 860 kilometers away from Lisbon. Facing their opponent Morocco in the quarter-finals, they are only 600 kilometers away. In terms of geographical location, Madeira is the outermost island of Portugal, facing Casablanca in Morocco across the sea.

The location of Madeira

Madeira is very close to Morocco, but unlike Morocco and Spain, Portugal and Morocco do not exist on Madeira. territorial disputes. In the clearly recorded history, the control of Madeira Island changed hands several times, and Britain and Spain briefly occupied the island, but in general, Madeira Island has always belonged to Portugal's inherent territory.

Madeira Coat of Arms

Madeira Islands, written Madeira in Portuguese, means wood. The archipelago consists of two larger islands and three smaller uninhabited islands. The main island is also called Madeira, and Ronaldo is from Funchal, the capital of the main island. In addition to Funchal, there are Important cities such as Porto Santo and Mahico.

In the 8th century AD, the Madeira Islands appeared in the ocean of history as early as the Moorish expedition to the Iberian Peninsula. The Moors called it El Ghanam, which means cow. According to later historians, this name may come from the goats or other animals native to the island, and the Moors are also one of the sources of modern Morocco.

About the rediscovery of Madeira, there is also a legend about love. In the 14th century AD, the British knight Robert Machim drove his ship to conduct trade exchanges in the Mediterranean. This enthusiastic and brave young man fell in love with the noble lady Anne Duffy while wandering around. The two were very different. The difference in status makes them destined to fail to achieve good results. What is even more frightening is that Robert Machim has been expelled from the kingdom, and his exile record is on the parliamentary list.

Anne Duffy's family was shocked and angry when they found out about the incident. They not only prevented the poor couple from meeting, but also arranged a well-matched marriage for Anne Duffy. In addition, they also applied for an arrest warrant from King Edward and vowed to imprison Robert Machim, who abducted his daughter.

Feudal arranged marriage could not stop the lovebirds. Anne Duffy immediately informed Machim after learning the news. The two decisively chose to elope. They set out from Bristol and took a boat to New continent. But a storm interrupted their plans, and after drifting at sea for a full two weeks, they arrived at a strange island, which is now Madeira.

Machim went ashore to explore a strange island, but when he wanted to return to the ship, he discovered the shocking reality. His crew members abandoned him and left alone, leaving only Anne Duffy and her attendants. Stay where you are. Three days later, due to hunger and lack of water, Anne died unfortunately, and Chim buried his lover under a cedar.

The crew who abandoned them reached North Africa, where they were captured by the Moors, and one of the crew, Morales, after being ransomed, was captured by the Portuguese navigator Prince Henry, to whom he told the story This story, and Prince Henry immediately launched a search for Madeira.

In order to commemorate the lovers, it is said that Machico, an important city in Madeira, was named after a variation of the surname Robert Machim.

In the actual recorded records, it was indeed Prince Henry who sent Captain Zarco to explore Madeira. In 1419 AD, Zarco discovered Madeira again, and he himself was appointed administrator of the island. In 1425 AD, Madeira officially became a province of Portugal, and the island of Madeira has been under Portuguese control ever since.

As one of the most well-known resorts in Europe, Madeira has unique tourism resources. As the hometown of Cristiano Ronaldo, this island has also been attached with more cultural value.

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(Madeira Island 4k aerial promotional video)

When you come to Madeira The first step to pass on Madeira Island is Madeira Island’s most famous airport. As one of the world’s most famous dangerous airports, landing here is not easy. There are hills and cliffs at the front of the runway, and pilots have to accept additional tests. You need to train to get in and out of Madeira.

Cristiano Ronaldo-Madeira Airport

Influenced by Ronaldo, the airport in Madeira was officially renamed Cristiano Ronaldo-Madeira in 2016. Madeira International Airport, in memory of. In 2017, the renamed terminal was officially opened and put into use. As part of the terminal, Ronaldo's bust also caused quite a stir.

The statue released for the first time

This statue, which is exactly the same as Cristiano Ronaldo, became everyone’s joke once it was exposed. Even Cristiano Ronaldo seemed to be speechless when facing it. expression. In 2018, the airport commissioned a Spanish sculptor to create a new version, but does this look like Ronaldo?

New and remade statues

There are more bizarre Ronaldo statues on the island. In other words, every Ronaldo statue on the island has its own quirks.

The incredible chocolate version of Ronaldo

For example, there is a life-size statue in the Ronaldo Museum on the island. It is made entirely of chocolate, but it is difficult for anyone to look at. The prototype of this statue turned out to be Cristiano Ronaldo.

The largest bronze statue

The most famous and largest bronze statue has not escaped the curse. This huge statue standing outside the hotel invested by Ronaldo has His signature moves, but upon closer inspection, others can completely understand them.

Fortunately, in addition to statues, there are many other Ronaldo-related elements to visit on the island. For example, the Ronaldo Museum stores the player's signed jerseys from each club, the team or individual honor trophies he has won, and a ball wall composed of hat-trick goals.

C Ronaldo Museum

Or you can consider visiting this great player’s original starting point for football. As a teenager, Ronaldo trained at Nacional de Madeira. Although he left early due to his outstanding talent, he still left an indelible mark on the team.

The total population of all the islands in Madeira is only about 260,000, and the capital, Funchal, has only 100,000. However, such a small island once had a maximum of three teams.

The existing teams are Madeira Nacional and Madeira Navigation. The former ranks 13th in the Portuguese Liga, while the latter ranks 17th in the Portuguese Super League and is at risk of relegation. The former third team on the island was the Madeira League, which was disbanded on November 23, 2021. There is another themed museum about Ronaldo near the home stadium of Madeira Nacional, where you can see the player's growth experience from childhood to adulthood. ?

In addition to Ronaldo and football, Madeira also has rich tourism resources, which is one of the reasons why it has become the most popular holiday island in Europe.

Similar to the Azores, another famous Portuguese island, Madeira is also an excellent location for diving and whale and dolphin watching. Due to the influence of volcanic activity, the Madeira Islands have excellent marine resources and are a popular destination for diving enthusiasts.

Madeira Island is rich in diving resources

The climate is mild throughout the year and the water temperature is stable. The waters near Madeira Island have clear water and a large number of marine ornamental species, such as Barracuda, monkfish, rays and even manta rays to name a few. In addition, you may also see some specially protected species, such as Mediterranean monk seals, arrow crabs, etc. On Madeira Island, there are many professional PADI diving centers that can help tourists experience the joy of diving. Whether it's snorkeling or scuba diving, Madeira has it all.

In addition, Madeira Island also has a wealth of outdoor activities and cultural activities. Outdoor lovers can choose to explore this beautiful island on foot, or they can choose to come during the Carnival or Flower Festival. Come to Madeira and take part in the island's festivals.

Perhaps as the manifesto of Madeira says, this is the most beautiful and freest of the islands. This beautiful island located on the west coast of Africa is not only the hometown of Cristiano Ronaldo, but also the brightest pearl in the Atlantic Ocean.