The village of Madalena do Mar

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[Madeira] [Parent topics] [Via Gallica]

Presentation

General information

Madalena do Mar is a forgotten and authentic small village.

Madalena do Mar enjoys contrary to the other villages the south-western coast of Madeira of a relatively flat site at the edge of the sea of the attacks of which a quay, bordered of a high wall, protects the village.

The central place of the district of fishermen whom a quay limits on the strike of rollers, sees to pile up the green banana modes from which the trucks will come to take delivery. They are transported up to now on the back of man, by 30 kg, since the plantations apart sometimes 2 km. A small paved road, very narrow, follows the strike along a wall behind which hide the villas, and sometimes hangars where the fruits are stored.

Situation

The village of Madalena do Mar is grouped between two rocks at the edge of a black pebble beach.

Visits

Church
A lane between two high walls, which the branches of the banana trees exceed, right conduit to the white church, rebuilt in 1960 on a platform of masonry. The square bell-tower and the frontage open on a pretty planted place of jacarandas contrast with the environment of greenery. Inside, wood gilded, the retables, the azulejos, the platform, paintings and the baptistry are unexpected in this place completely isolated from the world.

History, literature, arts, traditions, legends, religions, myths, symbols…

Characters
Henrique Alemão and his beautiful wife madérienne would be buried in the church. A legend wants that behind “Henri the German” hides actually the king of Poland Ladislas III which would have fled of Europe following a defeat in 1444.