The “Justice of Fafe” is one of the greatest, though controversial, symbols of reference of Fafe. For many, it is the authentic “ex-libris”.

The monument to Justice in Fafe was inaugurated at 11 am on August 23, 1981, at the back of the Palace of Justice.

The symbol of “Justice” is based on a famous legend, with different versions, testimonies that pass from generation to generation, clearly the result of popular imagination.

The most widespread and propagandized version since the beginning of this century was the subject of a long poem by Inocêncio Carneiro de Sá, the well-known “Baron of Espalha Brasas”, which we transcribe below. It speaks of an episode recorded in the last century and starring the Viscount of Moreira de Rei, an influential politician in the municipality and a good man, but who does not take insults home. A member of the Cortes, he arrived late to a session of that monarchical body, where he was harshly censured by a “certain Marquis”, also a member of the Cortes, who went so far as to call him a “scabrous dog”. Our Viscount pretended not to hear the insult and remained calm during the session, but at the end of it, he questioned the petulant Marquis, reprimanding him for the impolite words he had directed at him. Instead of apologising, he provocatively threw his gloves in his face. At that time, conflicts were resolved in duels, which became inevitable. The offended party was in charge of choosing the weapons. And when everyone thought he would prefer swords or pistols, as was usual at the time, the Viscount showed up at the meeting armed with two sturdy sticks. The Marquis, of course, did not know how to handle such a weapon.

And so, when the punching session began, the Viscount, an expert in the art of stick games, traditional in this region, defeated his rival. Laughing at the event, the attendees could not contain themselves and shouted in unison: “Long live Fafe’s Justice.”