Description of the attraction
Barcelos is a small and picturesque town located in the Braga district that attracts tourists with its landscapes, architectural monuments, as well as a weekly ceramics fair. The city is located on the right bank of the Cavado River and is best known for being the birthplace of Portugal's symbol, the cockerel. The city was also the capital of the first county of independent Portugal in the 13th century and the seat of the founder of the dynasty of the Dukes of Bragança, who in the future were the kings of Portugal. The path of pilgrims, or pilgrims, went through Barcelos, going to the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela to the tomb of the Apostle James.
Many different historical monuments of the Middle Ages have been preserved in the city center. One such monument is the Gothic-style Solar dos Pinheiroz mansion, considered a national monument of Portugal. The construction of this mansion began in the first half of the 15th century. Other documentary sources indicate that part of the mansion, namely the north tower, was built in the XIV century. Attention is drawn to the stone figure, which is located on the tower of the mansion, on the south side, right under the cornice. This statue represents a man with a beard and hands pulling his beard. The stone figure looks at the palace of the dukes.
Pedro Pinheiroz, a descendant of one of the most distinguished families of Barcelos, moved to the island of Terceira at the end of the 15th century. His family coat of arms features a pine tree and golden pine cones. But on the island of Terceira he was given the nickname Barcelos, and he later added it to his surname. Together with his partner, Juan Fernandez Labrador, he made his first trip to the island of Newfoundland to conduct research on this island and study the possibility of colonization in accordance with the charter of King João II. When Pedro died in 1507, his son received a letter from King Manuel I, allowing him to continue the work started by his father.
