Rua do Esmeraldo
Rua do Esmeraldo is adjacent to Praça Cristóvão Colombo or Praça Amarela (Yellow Square) as it is popularly known (because this is the predominant colour of the surrounding buildings) and is adjacent to Rua dos Ferreiros and Rua da Alfândega.
Its toponymy is related to Jenin Esmenaut, known as João Esmeraldo, a rich Flemish merchant who founded an important sugar estate here. It is believed that the navigator Christopher Columbus also inhabited this Gothic-Manueline house during his stay in Madeira in 1498. That is why the square got its name: Praça Cristóvão Colombo.
Between the square and Esmeraldo Street, the A Cidade do Açúcar Museum stands out, a space dedicated to the history of the island’s sugar industry between the 15th and 19th centuries, one of the most famous and remarkable phases of Madeira Island’s history and culture, known as the “White Gold” cycle.
Still, on this street and right next to the Museum, we find the old Palace of Rua do Esmeraldo, built in the 18th century, a beautiful example of Portuguese Baroque architecture that has gone through several owners and is now the headquarters of the Court of Auditors.
The headquarters of the National Sports Club, the headquarters of the Rodoeste Bus Company, as well as some restaurants and shops, fill the offers of this street.
