At the top of S. Brás Hill, in Santa Cruz do Bispo there is an very big statue, still incomplete, commonly known as “Homem da Maça” (“man of the cub”). It is probably the representation of an old warrior or a mythical hero. Next to it, there is another zoomorphic statue, which appears to represent a lion, with fantastic features. This statue, with rough features, is of a bearded man, with cuirass, belt and kneepads. The sculpture was moved from its original site, so there isn’t precise information about the date and circumstances of its finding. It was probably found in the XIXth century, on this hill, somewhere between the churches of Nossa Senhora do Livramento and S. Sebastião; it was moved in to its current location in 1935.
This statue’s interpretation has been rather problematic and controversial. Some authors consider it an example of the Roman provincial statuary (maybe from the Ist century AC), while others think that it belongs to the sculptural sets that, in the XVIth century, decorated the “Quinta dos Bispos”. The zoomorphic statue seems to be a medieval piece, which greatly resembles the basis of the medieval tombs that we can still admire today, at Leça do Balio’s monastery.
Location: Matosinhos
