Martin M. Miles' photos with the keyword: Barcelos

Mosteiro de Vilar de Frades (aka Mosteiro de São Salvador) is located east of Barcelos. A convent may have existed here already in the second half of the 6th century. After the Reconquista the monastery was refounded and rebuilt here and in 1059 Benedictine monks lived here. During the reign of Sancho I of Portugal (1185-1211) a Romanesque church was erected of which some parts still exist. Around 1400 the monastery was given up, but revitalized from 1425 by Mestre João Vicente. The monastery got enlarged and existed upto 1834. Today the buildings house a home for disabled people and sheltered workshops. The portal of the Romanesque church is now "integrated" into the church´s facade. The portal was taken down and rebuilt in the early 19th century. So this may not the original state. There are three archivolts with some interesting (and enigmatic) carvings. This is the central stone of the outer archivolt. Five very stoic looking gentlemen, sitting on snakes. Are they fighting the snakes? Or are they demonstrating that snakes cannot harm them?

Mosteiro de Vilar de Frades (aka Mosteiro de São Salvador) is located east of Barcelos. A convent may have existed here already in the second half of the 6th century. After the Reconquista the monastery was refounded and rebuilt here and in 1059 Benedictine monks lived here. During the reign of Sancho I of Portugal (1185-1211) a Romanesque church was erected of which some parts still exist. Around 1400 the monastery was given up, but revitalized from 1425 by Mestre João Vicente. The monastery got enlarged and existed upto 1834. Today the buildings house a home for disabled people and sheltered workshops. The portal of the Romanesque church is now "integrated" into the church´s facade. The portal was taken down and rebuilt in the early 19th century. So this may not the original state. There are three archivolts with some interesting (and enigmatic) carvings. There are three archivolts with some interesting (and enigmatic) carvings. Here are (outer archivolt) a well dressed lady. Manuel L. Real ("Portugal Roman", Edition Zodiaque) sees a dancer. She is followed by a fully armed knight and a mythivcl dragonlike animal, spitting fire.

Mosteiro de Vilar de Frades (aka Mosteiro de São Salvador) is located east of Barcelos. A convent may have existed here already in the second half of the 6th century. After the Reconquista the monastery was refounded and rebuilt here and in 1059 Benedictine monks lived here. During the reign of Sancho I of Portugal (1185-1211) a Romanesque church was erected of which some parts still exist. Around 1400 the monastery was given up, but revitalized from 1425 by Mestre João Vicente. The monastery got enlarged and existed upto 1834. Today the buildings house a home for disabled people and sheltered workshops. The portal of the Romanesque church is now "integrated" into the church´s facade. The portal was taken down and rebuilt in the early 19th century. So this may not the original state. There are three archivolts with some interesting (and enigmatic) carvings. Above a bishop or abbot (crozier, mitra) is a knight on horseback with sword and shield. Horses were much smaller at that time, than they are today. But for sure - not that short.

Mosteiro de Vilar de Frades (aka Mosteiro de São Salvador) is located east of Barcelos. A convent may have existed here already in the second half of the 6th century. After the Reconquista the monastery was refounded and rebuilt here and in 1059 Benedictine monks lived here. During the reign of Sancho I of Portugal (1185-1211) a Romanesque church was erected of which some parts still exist. Around 1400 the monastery was given up, but revitalized from 1425 by Mestre João Vicente. The monastery got enlarged and existed upto 1834. Today the buildings house a home for disabled people and sheltered workshops. The portal of the Romanesque church is now "integrated" into the church´s facade. The portal was taken down and rebuilt in the early 19th century. So this may not the original state. There are three archivolts with some interesting (and enigmatic) carvings. Is here a is a wrestling - or a hugging couple?

Mosteiro de Vilar de Frades (aka Mosteiro de São Salvador) is located east of Barcelos. A convent may have existed here already in the second half of the 6th century. After the Reconquista the monastery was refounded and rebuilt here and in 1059 Benedictine monks lived here. During the reign of Sancho I of Portugal (1185-1211) a Romanesque church was erected of which some parts still exist. Around 1400 the monastery was given up, but revitalized from 1425 by Mestre João Vicente. The monastery got enlarged and existed upto 1834. Today the buildings house a home for disabled people and sheltered workshops. The portal of the Romanesque church is now "integrated" into the church´s facade. The portal was taken down and rebuilt in the early 19th century. So this may not the original state.

Mosteiro de Vilar de Frades (aka Mosteiro de São Salvador) is located east of Barcelos. A convent may have existed here already in the second half of the 6th century. After the Reconquista the monastery was refounded and rebuilt here and in 1059 Benedictine monks lived here. During the reign of Sancho I of Portugal (1185-1211) a Romanesque church was erected of which some parts still exist. Around 1400 the monastery was given up, but revitalized from 1425 by Mestre João Vicente. The monastery got enlarged and existed upto 1834. Today the buildings house a home for disabled people and sheltered workshops. The right part of the facade has the Romanesque facade, though it was taken down and rebuilt in the early 19th century. So this may not the original state.

The legend of the Rooster of Barcelos ("Lenda do Galo de Barcelos") tells the story of a dead rooster's miraculous intervention in proving the innocence of a man who had been falsely accused and sentenced to death. According to the legend, silver had been stolen in Barcelos, and the inhabitants of that city were looking for the thieve. A man from Galicia became suspect, despite his pleas of innocence. The Galician swore that he was just passing through Barcelos on a Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. The authorities arrested the pilgrim and condemned him to hang, but he asked them to take him in front of the judge who had condemned him. So he was taken to the judge, who was holding a banquet with his friends. Affirming his innocence, the pilgrim pointed to a roasted cock on the table and exclaimed "It is as certain that I am innocent as it is certain that this rooster will crow when they hang me." The judge then not eat the rooster, but he ignored the Galician's appeal. However, while the pilgrim was being hanged, the roasted rooster stood up on the table and crowed. The judge ran to the gallows, to discover that the Galician had been saved from hanging thanks to a poorly made knot in the rope. The man was immediately freed and sent off in peace. Actually the legend exists in different variants along the different "Caminos de Santiago", but here the pilgrim returned to Barcelos and sculpted this "Cruzeiro do Senhor do Galo".

Walking out of Barcelos in the morning I found this blunt example of political unfairness. On the righthand side, opposite the baroque portal, you see the fassade of the office of the Communist Party of Portugal (Partido Comunista Português), clearly marked by a red flag and Hammer and Sickel. It is absolutely not fair to put a traffic-sign on front of that and so not allowing any left turn.

Actually Barcelos is an interesting little town, with a huge market, a comfortable hotel, great restaurant, very friendly staff at the Tourist Information and very unfriendly persons inside the churches I went to visit. You ask, even beg, for a permission - NO! It is not allowed to take any photo from the inside. Not even one. They make very clear, that they want you out of the church. I had that in the "Igreja Matriz", that has an interesting history and here in "Igreja do Bom Jesus da Cruz". But I will not talk about it. All stories should stay in Barcelos.