A Morte do Lidador - Beja, Portugal
Posted by: 
Torgut
N 38° 00.753 W 007° 51.481
29S E 600247 N 4207822
This blue tiles mural depicting the legend of The "Lidador" can be seen in a public park in the town of Beja, Southern Portugal
Waymark Code: WMK3Y1
Location: Beja, Portugal
Date Posted: 02/09/2014
Views: 12
This mural depicts a scene of an old legend, written from oral tradition by Alexandre Herculano, a 19th Century writer.
According to the legend, Gonçalo Mendes da Maia, (who was by then 95 years old (!!)), decided to commemorate his anniversary with a raid against the occupying Muslims. He knew the opposing army was by far stronger than his own, but still he left the castle of Beja with his 30 knights and 300 infantry. The battle started. Gonçalo Mendes da Maia met with his opposing commander, and they duelled. The old man killed Almoleimar with a blow from his sword, but he is also badly injured in the fight. Severely wounded, he still led one final charge against the enemy and at last, the Moors army were routed. He struck an enemy knight, but the attack doesn't improve his wound and finally the old man falls dead from his horse. And so this is the scene depicted, the moment when the old "Lidador" falls dead from his horse, surrounded by fighting knights.
The mural is made of blue tiles, a technique very common in Portugal, specially between the 18th and the early 20th Century. Couldn't date the mural in this spot, but I would say it's from the middle 20th Century.
There are four coat-of-arms (actually five, but the two on the bottom are the same): top left, couldn't find it; top center, The City of Beja; top right, the old Portuguese Monarchy; bottom: the current Portuguese coat-of-arms.
Website Source: [Web Link]
Additional Requirement?: Not listed
What's the Real Story?: Not listed
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