Barcelos

About

According to a 13th century legend, a pilgrim passing through Barcelos was wrongly accused of theft and sentenced to death by hanging. He was spared when the roasted rooster the judge was about to eat got up and crowed. Ever since, the brightly painted ceramic roosters have been sold throughout Portugal as symbols of luck. If your schedule allows, Barcelos’ huge square hosts one of the largest open-air markets in Europe on Thursday mornings.. Of course, there’s plenty to see every day of the week, including the 18th-century Nossa Senhora do Terço Church on the north side of the square, which houses beautifully decorated panels tiles and gilded wood in its plain exterior. In the town’s old quarter, historic buildings abound, such as the Parish Church, and the ruins of a palace belonging to the Dukes of Bragança, which now houses an open-air archaeological museum.