Barcelos, Portugal

Barcelos, Portugal
Barcelos is a city and a municipality in Braga District in the Minho Province, in the north of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 120,391, in an area of 378.90 km2. With 60 parishes, it is the municipality with the highest number of parishes in the country. It is one of the growing municipalities in the country, and is well known for its textile and adobe industries, as well as its horseback riding events and "figurado" style of pottery, which are comical figurines with accentuated features of farmers, folk musicians, and nativity scene characters.
Barcelos is part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network as a Crafts and Folk Art City.
History
Originally a Roman settlement, it expanded and became the seat of the First Duke of Bragança in the 15th century. The palace of the Dukes of Bragança was destroyed by an earthquake in 1755 and is now an open-air museum.
The town is on the Portuguese Way, a Christian pilgrimage route connecting to the Camino de Santiago.
Construction of the Barcelos Bridge, crossing the Cávado River, dates to 1325. The Bridge was deemed a National Monument in 1910.
Rooster
The town is closely associated with the Rooster of Barcelos, which often serves as a national symbol of Portugal.
One of the many legends of the rooster involves the town's long history along a pilgrimage route. The story involves a wealthy man throwing a grand party, which ended after the silver had gone missing. Among the guests was a pilgrim, who was accused of theft, and pleaded innocence before a judge. Unswayed by the pilgrim's claims, the judge sentenced the pilgrim to be hanged. As final protest, the pilgrim invoked divine intercession: the rooster being prepared for the judge's dinner would crow three times as proof of his innocence. As the execution approached, the judge at his dinner table watched the roasted bird miraculously crow three times. The judge quickly released the pilgrim, who would later return to Barcelos and commission a statue commemorating the divine providence.
Climate
Barcelos has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen: Csb) with warm summers and very wet, mild winters.
Parishes
Administratively, the municipality is divided into 61 civil parishes (freguesias):
Abade de Neiva
Aborim
Adães
Airó
Aldreu
Alheira e Igreja Nova
Alvelos
Alvito (São Pedro e São Martinho) e Couto
Arcozelo
Areias
Areias de Vilar e Encourados
Balugães
Barcelinhos
Barcelos, Vila Boa e Vila Frescainha (São Martinho e São Pedro)
Barqueiros
Cambeses
Campo e Tamel (São Pedro Fins)
Carapeços
Carreira e Fonte Coberta
Carvalhal
Carvalhas
Chorente, Góios, Courel, Pedra Furada e Gueral
Cossourado
Creixomil e Mariz
Cristelo
Durrães e Tregosa
Fornelos
Fragoso
Galegos (Santa Maria)
Galegos (São Martinho)
Gamil e Midões
Gilmonde
Lama
Lijó
Macieira de Rates
Manhente
Martim
Milhazes, Vilar de Figos e Faria
Moure
Negreiros e Chavão
Oliveira
Palme
Panque
Paradela
Pereira
Perelhal
Pousa
Quintiães e Aguiar
Remelhe
Rio Covo (Santa Eugénia)
Roriz
Sequeade e Bastuço (São João e Santo Estêvão)
Silva
Silveiros e Rio Covo (Santa Eulália)
Tamel (Santa Leocádia) e Vilar do Monte
Tamel (São Veríssimo)
Ucha
Várzea
Viatodos, Grimancelos, Minhotães e Monte de Fralães
Vila Cova e Feitos
Vila Seca
Notable citizens
Paio Peres Correia (ca.1205-1275) a Reconquista warrior from Monte de Fralães.
João Garcia de Guilhade, (PT Wiki) (1239-1288) a famous trobadour from Milhazes.
Pedro Afonso, Count of Barcelos (1289–1350) illegitimate son of King Denis of Portugal and the third Count of Barcelos.
Isabel of Barcelos (1402–1466) a lady of the Portuguese nobility
Lourenço de Almeida (ca.1480-1508) an explorer from Martim and military commander.
Gaspar de Faria (ca.1520 — 1576), was the 6th Bishop of Angra, from 1571 and 1576.
Francisco de Sá Carneiro (1934–1980) Prime Minister of Portugal; his paternal family were from Barcelos.
António Pires de Lima, (PT Wiki) (1936-2017) a lawyer from Barcelos.
Gisela João (born 1983) a Portuguese fado singer.
Renata Gomes (born 1985) a cardiovascular specialist and academic
Sport
Dito (1962–2020) a footballer with 383 club caps and 17 with Portugal
Capucho (born 1972) a former footballer with 410 club caps and 34 with Portugal
Bruno Magalhães (born 1982) a former footballer with 443 club caps
Hugo Viana (born 1983) a footballer with 321 club caps and 29 with Portugal
Nélson Oliveira (born 1991) a footballer with over 270 club caps and 17 with Portugal
Sport
Barcelos is home to Gil Vicente Futebol Clube (football) and Óquei Clube de Barcelos (rink hockey).
Twin Cities
Vierzon, France
Pontevedra, Spain
São Domingos, Cape Verde
El Jadida, Morocco
Recife, Brazil
Svishtov, Bulgaria
References
Cities in Portugal