El Cid and Valencia
What is the famous historical figure’s connection to Valencia?
Article
El Cid. A name recognisable around the world, a story told on screens big and small, on pages throughout the ages. Many think of him as a mythological figure, and whilst some of his exploits have, most likely, been exaggerated, the man known as El Campeador was real. His birth name was Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, and he led a storied and exciting life, full of twists and intrigue, before dying at the age of around 56 in Valencia.
Fighting in the armies of both the Christian and Moorish rulers of 11th-century Spain, El Cid – the Arabic title given to him – became the protagonist of a Medieval poem, cementing his legacy as the country’s most famous national hero.
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