Victor Zanatta and Fernando de Noronha

If you have never heard of those names before, who or what would you think are they? Perhaps because we are a pageant blog, you’d probably think they are two male pageant personalities from some Latin American countries. If you dig adventure-fantasy kind of stuff, you might imagine them to be some Old World seafaring heroes like pirates or explorers. And if you are fond of pocketbook romance and high society drama you might take a crack at - some illustrious gentlemen or possibly royal luminaries.  

If you made those guesses, you are not completely mistaken. Victor Zanatta is a public figure from South America and the reigning Mister Model International king. He will soon have to relinquish his crown so we are devoting some space to him here before he steps down. And who is Fernando de Noronha?

Well, he is not some male pageant king although we can say he was made known to us in this age by no other than pageant king Victor Zanatta. Fernando de Noronha is a 16^th century Lisbon nobleman who financed the expedition that led to the discovery of a group of islands off the Brazilian coast in 1503, who was granted hereditary captaincy over the archipelago by the Portuguese crown and in whose honor it was named after.

Victor Zanatta is from this archipelago that consists of 21 islands of close to 3,000 inhabitants where tourism is developed in a sustainable way to protect its delicate eco-system. The island is a UNESCO designated world heritage site as one of the most important ecological sanctuaries in the world. It is a fabled eco-wonderland where even the sharks are believed to be friendly.

Technically, Fernando de Noronha is part of Brazil, so why would Victor Zanatta wear the sash of the island instead of the country? It is simply the way to tell contestants apart in a pageant that accepts more than one representative from a particular country. In the same edition of the pageant, among the winners were Jhony Victor Santos, Brazil who made it to the top 10 and Irlin Rojas who represented Soana Island, an island of the Dominican Republic, finished 2^nd runner-up.

Victor’s victory and his providential use of the name of his island introduced not only him but also his homeland to many who are unaware of its existence. This underscores the important role pageants play in promoting tourism, raising awareness of and showcasing one’s homeland and culture. The influence and reach pageants enjoy make them effective platforms to espouse global advocacies and promote worthwhile causes.  

In a few weeks time we will have to take down the photos of Victor from our reigning pageant kings gallery to be replaced by those of his soon to be elected successor. Though his reign must come to an end, his path leads onward to even greater steps and dreams accomplished.

Thus far, he has already made an indelible footprint in mister pageant history as the man who gave Fernando de Noronha Island its first international pageant title and brought this charming island paradise to the consciousness of many in the world more than any local tourism initiatives could. Like most people outside Latin America, we had never heard of Fernando de Noronha until Victor Zanatta became Mister Model International.  And that, dear readers, is the wonderful connection between Victor Zanatta and Fernando de Noronha.