The Rooster of Barcelos

There are days when you feel the need to tidy up and clean; it happens to me. I wake up and really feel the need to clear out the excess, and the dust.

On those days, cleaning isn't a boring chore, but a liberating need. So enjoyable that you need the right soundtrack, one that makes you sing as if you were on stage at a concert.

If this happens to you, if you suddenly start using your broom like a microphone stand… I advise you to control yourself and not to "flail around," especially near the ornament shelf.

My house is clean now, but the colorful rooster, a souvenir from my first trip to Portugal , is now without a comb. I think I stopped for at least a minute to stare at him motionless… cursing myself a thousand times.

I picked it up and sat down, trying to think of some way to fix it. Now it's there, its comb a little crooked and chipped. He didn't deserve this, the Barcelos rooster who became a symbol of Portugal for saving a life!

Legend tells of a Portuguese pilgrim, perhaps a merchant, who reached the town of Barcelos on his way to Santiago de Compostela. He spent the night in an inn but found himself embroiled in a tragic incident when the innkeeper accused him of a crime he hadn't committed: a theft, perhaps a murder (depending on the version!).

In any case, the pilgrim was found guilty and sentenced to death. The man tried in vain to prove his innocence and, after imploring the help of Saint James, asked to be brought before the judge. The judge was attending a sumptuous banquet with some guests who were about to enjoy a roast rooster.
Arriving before them, the condemned man again declared his innocence and claimed that, to prove his innocence, the rooster would begin to crow. The diners began to mock him, but were soon silenced: the rooster rose and, by crowing, saved the poor pilgrim's life.

This is obviously a legend!

Another, more plausible version tells of the trial of a man who had been invited to a banquet by a wealthy landowner from Barcelos and subsequently accused of stealing a precious silver object. The accused vainly denied his innocence, and then, seeing a rooster in a spectator's basket, claimed that the rooster would crow to prove his innocence. Immediately afterward, the bird did indeed crow, clearing the man of the false accusation.

Since then, the rooster, symbolizing faith, justice, and good fortune, has been considered a symbol of Portugal . In the town of Barcelos, there are several statues of the rooster, and examples of colorful ceramics can be found throughout Portugal. A beautiful souvenir... but handle with care!

If you are curious to discover the picturesque village of Barcelos and the most important cities of Portugal, visit our page PORTUGAL AWAITS YOU