With a mere population of 5 million the coastal city of Galinha is one of the smallest independent states in the world; however, the nation wields influence vastly disproportionate to its size. A theocracy, this tiny city-state is the worldwide headquarters of the Galinhese Catholic Church and the temporal seat of its Pope. In a certain sense, Galinha is the capital city of a religious ‘super power,’ with devotees of the religion spread throughout the four corners of the earth. Throughout the year, tourists and pilgrims alike flock to visit the city’s numerous holy and historical sites, relax on its legendary golden beaches, and pay their respects to the Galinhese Pope.
Established in 1507 by a group of Portuguese religious pilgrims fleeing persecution for their hard-line conservative interpretations of Christianity. Having been excommunicated by the Roman Catholic pope and under constant pressure from the Portuguese monarchy, a band of settlers, under the leadership of one Helio Tavares set off to found a colony in the New World, where they would be free to practice their religion as they saw fit. Unfortunately, a violent storm, coupled with significant navigational errors through the group way off course. Lost, tired, and alone, the group ultimately came across an uncharted island, on which they immediately landed, founding the settlement of Galinha. Rabidly religious, the Galinhese settlers elected their leader Pope Helio I, who began a mission to evangelize across the island, soon absorbing the native tribes into Galinhese religion and society. Upon coming into contact with the outside world again, Galinha thwarted attempts by Portugal, Brazil, and the Roman Catholic Church to subvert its sovereignty and spread its wings outwards, as its own religion and state.
With a reputation for hospitality, the city is an incredibly popular tourist destination, one that is open to fun-seeking tourists and religious pilgrims alike. Galinha’s beach resorts, historical cathedrals and museums, and exciting flavors make any trip to the city an unforgettable one.
Getting In
As a major port-of-call in the region and an important tourist destination, Galinha’s Porto District is serviced by all major ferry companies in the region and is a stopping point for a number of cruise lines. In addition, Galinha is served by Pope Helio I Airport, located outside of the city center, in the northwest region of the island.
Getting Around
Galinha’s iconic green taxicabs crowd the streets of downtown Galinha jostling with one another to pick up passengers, and are prevalent across the island, with the cab company reachable by phone. Base taxi fare is 2 ducats, with one ducat added for every further mile. In additional, the city has recently completed a monorail system, which links the airport, several major resorts, and most of downtown Galinha.
The City
Porto District
Located on the southeastern coast of Galinha island, the Porto District is Galinha’s main harbor, and is where you’ll be arriving, if coming in by sea. Within the district, the vast Porta de Galinha is incredibly important to this island nation’s economy and is one of the busiest in the world, with large warehouse facilities twenty-four terminal complexes. The district also contains the Galinha Marina, where yachts and other private vessels are stored, and the Papal Customs Office. Obviously, as the city’s major harbor facility, Porto is crowded with both foreign and Galinhese sailors on shore leave. The numerous favelas, or shantytowns, within the district feature inexpensive hostels, boarding houses, and rooms for rent that are well-suited to the low-budget traveler. The Porto contains a number of bars, taverns, and pubs; watering holes and gambling dens for the district’s large population of mariners and stevedores, providing drinks and cheap eats. Porto features a number of points of interest including the Church of Nossa Senhora do Loreto and the Papal Aquarium and Maritime Museum.
Santa Teresa District
Due west of Porto lies Santa Teresa, the oldest district of Galinha sandwiched between the Palacio de Verao, the Pope’s summer residence, to the north, and the Sea to the south. Inhabited primarily by local fishermen and the poor, Santa Teresa is a picturesque labyrinth of narrow streets and small squares crowded in by old, red-roofed houses. The district is dotted with little tavernas and other small restaurants. Fado, a melancholy Portuguese musical style, can be heard emanating from just about all of the restaurant patios in the area. As the site of the original Galinha settlement, Santa Teresa contains the well-known Villa Velha or ‘Old Village,’ a well-preserved section of the old settlement, featuring an acting troupe in character as Galinha’s initial settlers. The district is home to the Monasterio de Santo Antonio da Rocha, the headquarters of the Antonians, a highly influential religious order. Other points of interest in Santa Teresa include the
Dutch Quarter
Just further west of Santa Teresa lies the Dutch Quarter, home to a large Dutch-speaking minority of merchant families with significant ties to the sugarcane and coffee plantations that dot the outer rim of the island. Constructed primarily in the Amsterdam Renaissance and Art Deco architectural styles, the Dutch Quarter is notorious within this theocracy for featuring the only religious minority, with a fraction of its residents self-identifying as Calvinists. Featuring some of the city’s more upscale residential areas, both high-rises and mansions, the Dutch Quarter is also the primary financial district of the city, with several major trading companies, banks, and exchanges headquartered there. The wealth of the Quarter is well-represented through its numerous museums, art galleries, and jewelers. The Quarter is known for its Guildhall, where high-ranking members of Galinhese Dutch-speaking society meet to discuss community affairs. It is also known for fine-dining, with world-renowned restaurants specializing in Dutch, Indonesian, South African, Portuguese, Brazilian, Maldivian, Mozambican, and, of course, Atrurian cuisine.
Trinidade District
Lying just north of the Dutch Quarter, Trinidade is the urban center of the city. Designed in an elegant neoclassical style, the district is known for its tree-lined boulevards, grand squares, pedestrianized streets, and traditional Galinhan cafes. Trinidade’s major attraction is its shopping, with all manner of craftsmen, from pastry bakers, to the district’s famous tailors, plying their wares. Tiled streets, street vendors and performers, and old tramcars running through the district combine to give Trinidade a unique feel. Notable points of interest include the Monumento da Dignidade Papal, the column-like Monument to Papal Dignity, the old Tojal Cinema, the 19th century Elevador do Santo Ferdando, Praça de a Trinidade or Square of the Trinity, and the Church of São Domingos.
Cidade Santa
West of Trinidade lies the beating heart of Galinha. The Cidade Santa, or ‘Holy City’, is the headquarters of the Galinhan Catholic Church, the capital from which the city and its eponymous religion are governed. In the center of the Cidade Santa lies the Saint Michael’s Square, a vast open space dominated by a single, centered obelisk. On the northern edge of the Square is the legendary dome-topped Basilica of Saint Michael, the resting place of Galinhese popes, regarded as the holiest of churches. To the east and west of the Basilica are two grand sets of Tuscan colonnades, shrouding behind them the Palácio dos Cardeais, the headquarters of the College of Cardinals, the offices of a number of pontifical ministries dealing with affairs of religion and state, the Pontifical Gardens, and the majestic Apostolic Palace, from which the Pope rules over the city.
Belém District
This predominantly middle-class neighborhood lies due east of the Dutch Quarter and is packed with monuments. Belém is known for housing the world-famous Jardim Zoológico Pontifical, the Galinese Papal Zoo, where an enormous collection of animals from across the globe are held on display in grandiose exhibits, funded by the personal coffers of the Pope himself. The Pavilhao do Conhecimento, or Pavilion of Knowledge, is a museum combining religious, scientific, and philosophical studies and a central point of interest for most. Belém is dominated by the Torre do Prata, a grand tower that looks out across the one- amd two-story buildings that make up the vast majority of the district and once served to deter invaders from other shores. The District is further known for its Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. an old and revered monastery.
Jardins Roxos
The Jardins Roxos, or ‘The Purple Gardens,’ is one of Galinha’s most exclusive neighborhoods. Located just north of Belém, Jardins Roxos is the traditional home of Officers of the Galinhese Curia, the non-ecclesiastical members of the local nobility that attend the Papal Court. This consists primarily of those with titles, such as Prince and Count , within the city and surrounding areas, most of whom have ceased to have any real authority in their domains, with genuine governance having long belonged to the Church, but exist mainly for pomp and circumstance. Jardins, is mainly residential, featuring large Baroque-style manors separated by lush gardens and parks.
Abril District
Recognized as the destination for higher learning within Galinha, the Abril District, is where most major universities and research institutes in Galinha are situated. East of the Jardins Roxos, the Abril District hosts, among others, the Seminário de São Pedro, Universidade de San Marcos, the Papal Military Institute, Universidade de Santo Tomas Aquino, Papal Academia de Artilharia, the Papal Language & Cultural University, and the Dutch University of Galinha. Beyond universities, the District is full of affordable housing and entertainment, such as bars, nightclubs, cinemas, and others.
Outskirts
Away from the urban dominated southeastern coast and interior of Galinha, the island boasts a calm, rustic, and tropical feel to it. Just outside the city limits and across most of the islands, what once consisted of miles upon miles of rainforest has since been slashed away in order to make room for the country estates of rich merchant families and Papal courtiers, as well as sweeping coffee, rubber, and sugarcane plantations, with the airport taking up much of the island’s northwest. Further outward, all along the coasts lie Atruria’s picturesque beaches. Seaside resort complexes dot the coasts, providing all manner of rest and relaxation.
