The curious legend of the rooster is associated with the medieval cross that is part of the estate of the Paço dos Condes. According to this legend, the town’s inhabitants were alarmed by a crime and, even more so, by the fact that the criminal who committed it had not been discovered.

According to this legend, the town’s inhabitants were alarmed by a crime and, even more so, by the fact that the criminal who committed it had not been discovered. One day, a Galician appeared who became suspicious. The authorities decided to arrest him and, despite his oaths of innocence, no one believed that the Galician would go to S. Tiago de Compostela, in fulfillment of a promise, without him being a fervent devotee of the saint who, in Compostela, was venerated, nor of St. Paul and Our Lady. For this he was sentenced to hang. Before being hanged, he asked to be taken to the presence of the judge who had condemned him. Authorization having been granted, they took him to the magistrate’s residence who, at that moment, was feasting with some friends.The Galician once again asserted his innocence and, in the face of the disbelief of those present, pointed to a roasted rooster that was on the table, exclaiming: “It is so right that I am innocent, how right is that rooster to crow when they hang me”. Laughter and comments followed but, just in case, nobody touched the rooster. What seemed impossible, however, became reality. When the pilgrim was being hanged, the roasted rooster stood up on the table and crowed! No one doubted the convict’s claims of innocence any longer. The judge ran to the gallows and saw, with astonishment, the poor man with a rope around his neck. However, the loose knot prevented strangulation. Immediately released, he was sent in peace. Years later, he returned to Barcelos and had the monument erected in honor of St. James and the Virgin, the medieval cross that is part of the collection of the city’s Archaeological Museum.

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Source: https://www.cm-barcelos.pt/visitar/caminho-portugues-de-santiago/a-lenda-do-galo/

Image source: Gabinete de Turismo e Artesanato de Barcelos