Fall River is home to one of the largest battleships in America, mills that once served the bustling textile industry, a lively waterfront and spicy chourico over at Michael’s Provision. There’s something for everyone.
To add to the list of impressive sights, Fall River now has the largest Portuguese rooster anywhere around.
Its name is Benny and you can find him at Portugalia Marketplace on Bedford Street. After speaking with co-owner and Vice President Of Business Development Michael Benevides, I found the story behind the galo (Portuguese for rooster) quite interesting.
The 11-foot custom Galo de Barcelos was sculpted by Azorean artist Gualberto Cordeiro, and finished and painted by Joe DaPonte of C&C Fiberglass in Bristol, Rhode Island, with an assist from Roberto Medeiros.
“For years we’ve been telling him (Cordeiro) we wanted him to build us a rooster,” Benevides said. “He built us the shape of the rooster out of Styrofoam and then we brought it to a fiberglass shop in Bristol who covered it in fiberglass and painted it. It was a collaboration between them both.”
Read More: Fall River Portugalia Marketplace Is Home to an 11-Foot Rooster | https://fun107.com/theres-an-11-foot-portuguese-rooster-in-fall-river-with-a-new-name-and-a-fascinating-story/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
As large as this rooster is, it only weighs about 75 pounds.
After customers of Portugalia kept suggesting that the marketplace should name the giant rooster, Benevides and his team decided to have a naming contest on social media.
Chris Saraiva offered up the winning name.
“The one that stuck out the most to us was Benny which had a good play on the family name (Benevides),” Benevides said. “The name is also unisex and it meant blessed, strong, and brave. It was the most popular submission under the comment section.”
So, if you’re curious about the price tag on this galo, it’s a pretty penny, to say the least.
“This has been a debate since the beginning,” Benevides laughed. “My father said he won’t part with it for less than $50,000. It’s well done and the only super-sized Galo de Barcelos around.”
Viva Portugalia Marketplace!
Read More: Fall River Portugalia Marketplace Is Home to an 11-Foot Rooster | https://fun107.com/theres-an-11-foot-portuguese-rooster-in-fall-river-with-a-new-name-and-a-fascinating-story/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral