Statue of Saint Teotonio - Valença

Within the walls of the fortress there is also the "Statue of S. Teotihuacan", a 20th century sculpture that shows us the figure of the 1st Portuguese saint, inspirer and protector of the nationality.

He was born in Ganfei, in 1082 , in the space where the chapel of Saint Teotónio currently stands, and was baptized in the Ganfei Monastery.
As an advisor to Dom Afonso Henriques, he is one of the great inspirers of Portuguese nationality and a striking figure of the Portuguese independence that the Valencians have cherished throughout the centuries, with deep devotion as a result.

Saint Teotonio made several pilgrimages to the Holy Land , a well-traveled man for his time, robust and tall for his time, a cultural reference of the time, well informed about his time and his society with a profound vision of the future.
The relationship between São Teotónio and D. Afonso Henriques was so strong and so important for Portugal that they will remain buried forever in the same church.
Several popes tried to give him the title of bishop, but he always refused because of his humility.

The statue is depicted standing, dressed in cross-stitched robes and with a mitre on his head, which is considered an iconographic error and contrary to what happens in other images of the saint, where the mitre is removed, since Saint Theotonius had refused the bishopric.

Willem Vandenameele