The ruins of the Palace of the Counts of Barcelos and its surrounding spaces have housed the city´s Archaeological Museum since 1920.
Here you will find pieces that testify o the region´s settlement since prehistoric times. Mediaeval sarcophagi, heraldic symbols, boundary stones of the House of Bragança, various architectural features from dismantled churches and monasteries and sculpted blazons from former noble houses that have since disappeared are all to be found in the archaeological collection on exhibition here.
Special attention is drawn to the Cruzeiro do Senhor do Galo, a cross paying tribute to the legend of the Barcelos Cock, originating from Barcelinhos (one of the parishes of Barcelos, situated on the other side of the river), dating from the beginning of the 18th century and telling us the ancient legend of the city's most emblematic feature in low-relief carvings. |