Passarinheiro: between the mythical and the imaginary

Bird watching is fascinating and charms people of all ages. The theme evokes beauty and a certain mystique. In Braga, a guy became known for being a great lover of birds. In addition to protecting them, he raised funds for the maintenance of the birds he cared for. Maia Passarinheiro, who pays tribute to one of the streets in the parish of Dume, is one of the illustrious figures of Braga from the 1950s. Poor man, seen through the streets of the municipality with his cages, Maia Passarinheiro is the subject of one of the engravings by J. Veiga (Figure 01), respectable illustrator from Braga, a drawing by Lula Campos and the poem “Passarinheiro”, by Arnaldo de Azevedo Pinto (Figure 02).