Aveiro will start between the 10th and 12th centuries at the mouth of the Vouga River as a small fishing village. The estuary already existed as a result of the formation of the dunes that were closing the exit of the waters of the river to the sea. The estuary is the main geographical feature that defined the type of activity of the population that grew here; a small inland sea, abundant fish that created an underwater flora, the moliço, an inexhaustible source of fertilizer for the farming of the nearby agricultural land. In addition it had the richness of salt. The salt flats in Aveiro were already cooled in the 10th century in the will of Countess Mumadona Dias. In the 16th century, vessels came from northern European ports to seek salt which was later used to salt the herring they exported to northern Europe.
In the 13th century, Aveiro was elevated to the category of a village, developing the settlement around the main church, dedicated to S. Miguel and located where today is Praça da República, with this temple being demolished in 1835.
Later, D. João I, on the advice of his son, Infante D. Pedro, who, at the time, was a grantee of Aveiro, had it surrounded by walls that, in the 19th century, were demolished, part of the stones being used in the construction of the new bar piers.
In 1434, D. Duarte granted the village the privilege of holding an annual free fair that has reached our days and is known as the March Fair.
At the end of the 16th century, beginning of the 17th century, the instability of vital communication between the Ria and the sea led to the closure of the canal, preventing the use of the port (see Porto de Aveiro) and creating unsanitary conditions, caused by the stagnation of the waters of the lagoon, causes that caused a great decrease in the number of inhabitants - many of whom emigrated, creating fishing villages along the Portuguese coast - and, consequently, were the basis of a great economic and social crisis. It was, however, and interestingly, in this phase of recession that, in full Philippine domination, one of the most notable temples in Aveiro was built: the Misericórdia Church.
In 1759, D. José I elevated Aveiro to the city, a few months after having condemned his last duke for treason on the scaffold, a title created in 1547 by D. João III. For this reason, and at the request of some notable people in the city, the new city was given the name Nova Bragança instead of Aveiro, by Alvará Real of April 11, 1759. With the fall of the power of the Marquis of Pombal, after D. Maria I became queen in 1777, so she sent the city back to its previous designation.
Bortirois pier, and fish market, a very interesting part of Aveiro, where you heave a mix of the local architecture and the water life of this canal
The Lagoon of Aveiro is the result of the retreat of the sea, with the formation of coastal strings that, from the 16th century onwards, formed a lagoon that constitutes one of the most important and beautiful geographical features of the Portugue...
Situados na zona da "beira-mar", estes canais serviram outrora de serventia para os barcos moliceiros e saleiros-mercantéis. Conferindo à cidade uma beleza única, forma o sustentáculo de um desenvolvimento económico próspero nos tempos da sua fund...
The Botirões and Mercantéis wharfs connect the S. Roque canal to the fish market area. It is therefore a pleasure to flank these arms of the estuary and delight in the picturesque ambience of these places.
The Canal do Côjo, once known as Ribeira das Azenhas, due to the high number of mills that were concentrated along its banks, gave its name to the factory there founded in 1775 by João Rodrigues Branco - Fábrica do Côjo. It was an important place ...
Located in the "seaside" area, these canals once served as a service for moliceiro boats and merchant salt shakers. Giving the city a unique beauty, it forms the basis of a prosperous economic development at the time of its foundation. The central...
Located in the "seaside" area, these canals once served as a service for moliceiro boats and merchant salt shakers. Giving the city a unique beauty, it forms the basis of a prosperous economic development at the time of its foundation. The central...
Located in the "seaside" area, these canals once served as a service for moliceiro boats and merchant salt shakers. Giving the city a unique beauty, it forms the basis of a prosperous economic development at the time of its foundation. The central...
The Canal do Côjo, once known as Ribeira das Azenhas, due to the high number of mills that were concentrated along its banks, gave its name to the factory there founded in 1775 by João Rodrigues Branco - Fábrica do Côjo. It was an important place ...
The Central Canal of the Ria de Aveiro runs through the center of the lower part of the city, from the Rossio garden to the old Captaincy building of the Port of Aveiro, from which follows another channel that, formerly, served as a connection to ...
The Casa do Major Pessoa, also known as Museu Arte Nova, is a museum located next to Jardim do Rossio, in the parish of Vera Cruz, municipality of Aveiro, district of Aveiro, in Portugal. It was built at the initiative of Mário Belmonte Pessoa in ...
The Costa Nova do Prado beach, also known only as Costa Nova, is located on the western coast of Portugal, on the Ria de Aveiro coastline. It is located in the municipality of Ílhavo, as well as Praia da Barra, in the Central Region of Portugal. I...
With an irregular hexagonal plane, it was built during the first quarter of the 18th century (1714). In honor of the patron saint, a very curious annual party is held, which is one of the most characteristic of Aveiro. Here is held one of the most...
