Barcelos, which is located in the right bank of river Cávado, is a noble city as well as the biggest municipality in the country as far as the number of parishes go (89) and the largest in geographical area in all of Minho (336 Km²). It is located in the road axis of Guimarães/Braga/Viana do Castelo and confines with the Porto/Valença freeway.
Barcelos is included in the Santiago Paths, hence the "barca dos peregrinos" (barque of pilgrims) as toponym and always a place of passage to the Alto Minho and Galiza lands. The curious legend of the Rooster Lord s Miracle is associated to this land, acording to which, one day a galician pilgrim who was headed to Santiago de Compostela found himself undeservedly accused and sentenced to hanging. His father, appealing to the clemency of the judge, was told that in order for the judge to believe in the inocence of the defendant, the roast chicken that the judge was about to eat had to sing. In the exact moment that the pilgrim was about to be hanged, the rooster stood up and sang. In the hanging site, São Tiago was holding the feet of the hanged man that was saved. In result of this miracle, the Cruzeiro do Senhor do Galo was erected as monument of praise to the Virgin and to São Tiago, who currently is in the archaeological museum. Thus was born one of the national symbols, the colorful Galo de Barcelos.
Barcelos is an history rich city where can access a permanent source of writings and deeds to be deciphered in the old cartularies, in the century old streets, in the noble buildings, in solar and family houses, in churches and temples, in coats of arms and in keep towers.
The Municipality of Barcelos is a territory with a very strong cultural and ethnological identity resulting from the variety of arts and crafts amongst which the pottery stands out due to its importance. Pottery work has obtained such a relevance over the centuries that it has become inseparable from the past and present history of this region and its people.
Get to know the legend of the Rooster of Barcelos.