São Gonçalo, or São Gonçalinho as he is affectionately called by the people of Aveiro, is the city’s patron saint to whom the city’s inhabitants entrusted their fate when they went out to sea, especially in the Beira-Mar neighbourhood.
Many virtues were attributed to him, namely the ability to cure bone problems and solve marital issues. His face, jovial and smiling, made him known to history as the quintessential ‘little boy’. Every year the Festivals of São Gonçalinho are celebrated in early January, during which promises are paid to the patron saint, along with the tradition of throwing sweet cavacas (a kind of crisp cake) from the top of the chapel while hundreds of people try to catch them.
This work by digital artist Diogo Landô represents, through collage, painting and digital photography, the sacred figure of the patron saint, albeit in a more popular tone. With iconographic references to the Saint and the festivities in his name, the piece intends to reflect the love that people from the Beira-Mar neighbourhood and the city of Aveiro have for São Gonçalinho.