Padrão do Salado

Padrão do Salado

The Padrão do Salado in 2007.
41.44284°N 8.29279°W / 41.44284; -8.29279
Type	National monument
Material	Granite and limestone
Completion date	1340
Dedicated to	Victory of Portugal at the Battle of Río Salado

The Padrão Comemorativo da Batalha do Salado, commonly referred to as just Padrão do Salado, is a 14th-century monument located in the freguesia of Oliveira, São Paio e São Sebastião, inside the Historic Center of Guimarães area, in Portugal.

Located in front of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Oliveira, the Padrão do Salado has been classified as a National Monument since 1910.

History

Historic photograph of the Padrão do Salado in the 1850s.

It was erected in 1340 at the initiative of Afonso IV of Portugal to commemorate the victory in the Battle of Río Salado that took place the same year. The Portuguese sovereign had participated in this battle in support of his son-in-law, Afonso XI of Castile, helping him defend against a Muslim invasion. The limestone Normand cross, located in the middle of the monument, originally plated with gold, was gifted by local merchant Pedro Esteves in 1342. It was sealed with iron fencing until the yearly 20th century.

Description

Open quadrangular-plan porch made up of four carved broken arches resting on columns with carved capitals, topped by the Royal coat of arms. The arches, surmounted by a gable, limit a granite vaulted roof. It houses a cross resting on a circular socle with two steps. The polychrome cross depicts Christ Crucified on one side and the Virgin Mother under a baldachin on the other. On a lower level on the shaft of the cross: 4 sculptures representing Vincent of Saragossa, Philip the Apostle, Saint Torcato and the Guardian Angel.

See also

• Battle of Río Salado
• List of national monuments of Portugal
• List of buildings in Guimarães

External links

Media related to Padrão do Salado at Wikimedia Commons