The Festival of the Crosses is considered the first great Pilgrimage in Minho, a mix of color, tradition and popular entertainment, it is one of the most important events in Barcelos. Its origin dates back to the 16th century and is associated with a legend when, in 1504, the shoemaker João Pires, returning from mass, noticed a black cross on the ground, in the middle of Campo da Feira. What he considered to be «a sacred sign» soon turned into a popular event, which gave rise to devotion to the “Lord of the Cross”, materialized in the construction of the Temple of Bom Jesus da Cruz, today the epicenter of the Festival of the Crosses.

In the 19th century, this festival had a distinctly religious character. Hundreds of pilgrims from the rural parishes of Barcelos, from all over the country and from neighboring Galicia, sang and danced, some barefoot with the “countess” on their heads, where they carried the meal.

In the 20th century, the religious component merged with remaining elements of a profane nature visible in carousels, food and drink stalls, horse races, ethnographic processions, fireworks on the Cávado river, and challenging songs in the city streets.

Nowadays, the Festival of the Crosses is a pilgrimage point for national and international visitors. Barcelos comes to life even more with the pilgrimage and its arches, the fair, the crafts, the procession, the natural flower petal carpets, the folklore performances. The traditional battle of the flowers, the music bands and the zés pereiras reflect the pulse of Barcelos’ culture and traditions. The Battle of Flowers, the Pilgrimage Arches, the Carpets of Natural Petals and the Procession of the Invention of the Holy Cross are the highlights of the Festival of the Crosses.