Rooster of Barcelos

The folk tale of the Rooster of Barcelos tells the miraculous story of how a dead rooster helped prove the innocence of a man falsely accused and sentenced to death. The legend is closely associated with a 17th-century calvary monument housed in the Archaeological Museum of Barcelos, located in the Paço dos Condes—a Gothic-style palace in the city of Barcelos, in Portugal's Braga District.

According to the tale, silver had been stolen from a landowner in Barcelos, prompting a search for the culprit. Suspicion fell on a traveler from Galicia, despite his repeated claims of innocence. The man explained that he was merely passing through Barcelos on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, fulfilling a vow.

Unconvinced, the authorities arrested him and sentenced him to be hanged. Before the execution, the man pleaded to be taken before the judge who had issued the sentence. His request was granted, and he was brought to the judge’s home—where a banquet was taking place. Asserting his innocence once more, the man pointed to a roasted rooster on the banquet table and declared:

“It is as certain that I am innocent as it is certain that this rooster will crow when I am hanged.”

The judge, intrigued but skeptical, pushed aside his plate and chose not to eat the bird—but he dismissed the man’s claim.

However, at the very moment the execution was to take place, the roasted rooster miraculously stood up and crowed. Realizing his grave mistake, the judge rushed to the gallows and arrived just in time to find that the man had survived—saved by a poorly tied noose. He was immediately released and declared innocent.

Years later, the man returned to Barcelos to express his gratitude. In honor of the Virgin Mary and Saint James, he carved the Calvary of the Lord of the Rooster (Cruzeiro do Senhor do Galo), a monument that still stands today in the Barcelos Archaeological Museum.