Estatua de Viana - Viana do Castelo

This statue in honour of the city stands right in front of the marina, in the gardens that run from Avenida Marginal to Largo João da Costa (where the book fair took place). The construction dates back to the 18th century and is entirely carved in stone.

The female figure in flowing clothes, holding a caravel , in rococo style, which dominates the entire decor, symbolizes Viana and her seafaring vocation. The four busts that complete the corners of the pedestal symbolize the European, Asian, African and American continents, as an allusion to the "four corners of the world" and the seafaring and merchant tradition of the Viennese people.

This monument was the first to be dedicated to the city itself, but in the 20th century a new version of this statue was built, this one in front of the castle of Santiago da Barra and the commercial port.

Willem Vandenameele