The legend of the Rooster of Barcelos is one of the most famous in Portugal.
The legend of the rooster of Barcelos has resisted particularly well to the time. Proof of this is that the shelves of souvenir stores are all well stocked with small colored roosters.
The legend takes place in the small town of Barcelos, located west of Braga, in the northern region.
The story goes that several crimes were committed in Barcelos but the culprit was not caught. A man who was on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela was found guilty, even though there was no proof of his guilt. The sentence was radical: to the gallows.
Wanting to claim his innocence, the poor man went to the judge. Seeing a rooster braised on the magistrate's table, the condemned man told him that the rooster would rise and crow as proof of his innocence. The day of his execution arrived and the rooster rose and crowed, proving to the judge and the assembly the innocence of the pilgrim.
This legend illustrates faith, justice and morality and the rooster is considered a good luck charm. There are many representations of this animal for decorative purposes, such as the ceramic roosters of Coimbra.
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