A most fascinating public sculpture is located at Montevideu Avenue, in Porto

A most fascinating public sculpture is located at Montevideu Avenue, in Foz, Porto. The "Homem do Leme" or "Helmsman" was inaugurated on 27 January 1938 and has its own cultural curiosity.

The Statue of "O Homem do Leme" pays tribute to the fishermen and their bravery at sea represented by the man at the helm, contemplating the Atlantic with determination, maintaining a steady course.

The statue is made of bronze and has turned into a tourist attraction all its own; it was commissioned by Henrique Galvão to Américo Gomes for the Portuguese Colonial Exhibition, held from 16 June to 30 September 1934 at the original Palácio de Cristal building.

Following the conclusion of the exhibition, and due to the huge success of this monument, a commission decided to cast the sculpture in bronze and locate it in the marine promenade in Foz, next to the Homem do Leme beach (the first beach in Porto to be awarded the Blue Flag), in Porto.

This three-dimensional art form provides an important visual way of understanding the city and the culture it belongs to: the Invicta.