Barcelos
About Barcelos
Located on a hill above the River Cavado, Barcelos is one of the prettiest places in the north of Portugal.
From its origins as a settlement in Roman times, the town later developed into a flourishing agricultural centre and achieved political importance during the 15th century as the seat of the First Duke of Bragança.
Today, Barcelos (indicated on the map below) is best known for its pottery, most notably the brightly-painted clay cockerel, whose crowing saved a man from the gallows according to the local legend.
Built in 1704, the octagonally-shaped church of Senhora da Cruz was built over an old chapel where a local cobbler was said to have had a miraculous vision of a cross etched into the ground. The 500-year-old Feast of the Crosses occurs each May at this church.
