Barcelos is a small town, famous for their market with the local ceramic, the pottery and handcrafts.

Barcelos is also responsible for the legend of the cockerel, which figur is nowadays the symbol of the Portuguese Tourist office:

“ One day a pilgrim on his way to Santiago de Compostela , passed in Barcelos and was arrested by suspection of having committed a crime. He protested innocense, but nobody believed him. He said that he was on his way to Santiago to fulfill a vow. Anyway he was condemned to be hanged. But before the execution, he asked to be taken to the presence of the judge who had pronounced the sentence. The magistrate was having lunch with some friends. Once again the pilgrim protested his innocense and pointing to the roast chicken on the table he exclaimed:
As surely as I am innocent, will that cockerel crow if I’m hanged!!
When the pilgrim was beeing hanged, the cock stood up on the table and crowed. He was immediately released and sent on his way in peace.
Years later, he returned to Barcelos and built the monument to the Virgin and St James.”

Every Thursday morning the biggest market in the Minho region takes place in Barcelos in the Campo da República square. Here you can buy everything you want, like, clothes, shoes, pottery, handcrafts... Goods....

For those that like ceramic .....the famous colourful cockerel......…