To borders of the Cávado river, Barcelos is a glad and smiling city like the people of the region of the Miño.
If they like the celebrations and romerías - the celebration of Cruces is an explosion of light, color and tradition; if they like the markets, all Thursdays one is celebrated where it will be able to find of everything: vegetables, orfebrería, clothes of the home, good iron objects, sets of dishes and… manjares. And everybody is enchanted with the figures full of color and imagination of its crafts.
The villa was given by king D. Dinis the first Count of Barcelos in 298. If it enters by the gothic bridge that crosses the river, all the urban helmet of the medieval time is seen immediately: the ruins of the old palace of the Counts, later Dukes of Braganza, that is dominated the landscape, the First church, the stone Roll. In the esplanade that is opened before the palace an interesting Archaeological Museum is located outdoors. Fíjese very specially in the Stone Cross of the Gentleman of the Rooster, that counts in bajorelieve the legend of the rooster, that Barcelos has adopted like symbol. In the family house of the Pinheiros it looks for an old one of great beards recorded in the stone. It is the “Barbadão”, crying out revenge against a horseman of the Palace of the Dukes that dishonored to its daughter.
Of the old walls it is left still on a robust tower of the tribute, a beautiful space where the Office of Tourism is located. Give a stroll by the pleasant garden of baroque flavor and visit the church.
“Bom Jesus gives Cross”. It is a very elegant temple, that mixes in its outside the dark stone of the granite and the target of the lime which they harmonize with the forms barrocas so well.