Aveiro
Encyclopedia
Aveiro is a city
in Aveiro Municipality
in Portugal
, with a total area of 199.9 km², a total population of 73,559 inhabitants, and 59,860 electors (2006). It is the second most populous city in the Centro Region of Portugal, after Coimbra
. However, the city of Aveiro together with neighbouring Ílhavo
, make one conurbation which has a population of 113,908 inhabitants, making it one of the most important by population density in the Centro Region.
The municipality is composed of 14 parishes (freguesias), and is located in Aveiro District and the chief city of Baixo Vouga
.
The present Mayor is Élio Manuel Delgado da Maia, elected by a coalition between the Social Democratic Party
and the Democratic Social Centre.
The municipal holiday is 12 May.
, Aveiro is an industrial city with an important seaport. The city of Aveiro is also the capital of the District of Aveiro
, and the largest city in the Baixo Vouga
intermunicipal community subregion.
Boats: moliceiros in Ria for hire to tourists, for fishing
purposes and recreational ones like regattas.
Routes/Primary expressways: A 1 (Porto <> Lisbon); A 25 (Viseu
<>Guarda
<> Vilar Formoso
).
Regional Airport: Aerodromo de Aveiro/São Jacinto (LPAV).
Port/Harbour (harbor): Porto de Aveiro (Ílhavo/Aveiro).
There are several attractions in the city of Aveiro, including cathedrals, canals and the beaches of the Peninsula de São Jacinto. Attractions near Aveiro include the Ílhavo ceramica de Vista Alegre and the beaches of Barra, Costa Nova do Prado, and Gafanha da Nazare
.
", because of its canals and boats that remind one of the Italian city of Venice, as the city faced similar problems when it tried to conquer the water.
invaded and then held it until the 11th century, after which it became popular with Portuguese royalty. In the winter of 1575, a terrible storm closed the entrance to its port, ending a thriving trade in metal
s and tile
s. The same storm also created a reef barrier at the Atlantic Ocean
.
and for its seaweed
harvest, which is used for fertilizer in the area.
was born in Aveiro. He was the first European to visit the region of Benin
in Nigeria
and named the river located there, the Rio Fermoso. He helped to build a fort in Mina
. Unfortunately, he never came back to Portugal; he died in the region and is credited for bringing to Lisbon the first pepper that ever came out of those parts. He was also credited as one of the discoverers of the Newfoundland fisheries.
Zeca Afonso
was a singer and composer.
The city is also famous for the Convento de Jesus (now known as the City Museum "Santa Joana"), built in the 15th century, which contains the tomb of the daughter of Afonso V
, St. Joana, who died in 1490. The presence of this royal personage, beatified in 1693, proved to be of great benefit when she bequeathed her valuable estate to the convent. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the convent housed a school of embroidery, which produced many of the sumptuous pieces kept in the museum.
The University has about 430 professors (with Ph.D. degrees), 11,000 undergraduate students, and 1,300 post-graduate students.
Beira-Mar Sport Club (founded 1922) has a sports academy with various youth levels participating in all kinds of sports codes notably in Basketball and Futsal in both National and Provincial levels.
The other long established club in the city 'Os Galitos' was founded in 1904 and water related sports such as swimming, sailing and rowing are some of it's longest traditional strongest specialities, other sections in the club include chess, basketball, snooker, pool and billiards among others, but rowing is the modality in which the club has a maintained a long and proud tradition going back more than one hundred years, reaching the highest possible excelence as a club with several of it's individual and team of rowers having represented Portugal Internationaly and at the Olimpic games with good classifications on more than a just few occasions.
are: - Viseu
, Portugal
- Viana do Castelo, Portugal, since 1910 - Belém
, Brazil
, since 1970 - Pelotas
, Brazil, since 1970 - Bourges
, France
, since 1989 - Inhambane
, Mozambique
, since 1989 - Arcachon
, France, since 1989 - Ciudad Rodrigo
, Spain
, since 1989 - Forlì
, Italy
, since 1990 - Santa Cruz, Cape Verde
, since 1993 - Pemba
, Mozambique, since 1995 - Cubatão, Brazil, since 1997 - Venezia, Italy
, since 1998 - Newark
, New Jersey
, USA - Wallingford, CT, Connecticut
, USA - Ōita
, Japan
, since 1978 - Bonn
, Germany
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Aveiro Municipality
Aveiro Municipality
Aveiro Municipality is located in Aveiro District, Portugal. The capital of the district and of the municipality is the city of Aveiro.-Demographics:-Parishes:* Aradas* Cacia* Eirol* Eixo* Esgueira* Glória * Nariz...
in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, with a total area of 199.9 km², a total population of 73,559 inhabitants, and 59,860 electors (2006). It is the second most populous city in the Centro Region of Portugal, after Coimbra
Coimbra
Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic institution in the...
. However, the city of Aveiro together with neighbouring Ílhavo
Ílhavo
Ílhavo Municipality is located in Aveiro District, in Baixo Vouga Subregion, by the Ria de Aveiro and the Atlantic Ocean, with an area of and a population of 37,209, distributed by four parishes...
, make one conurbation which has a population of 113,908 inhabitants, making it one of the most important by population density in the Centro Region.
The municipality is composed of 14 parishes (freguesias), and is located in Aveiro District and the chief city of Baixo Vouga
Baixo Vouga
Baixo Vouga is a Portuguese subregion integrated in the Centro Region. It is centered around the city of Aveiro. Other major cities include Águeda, Ílhavo and Ovar. The subregion covers an area of 1,807 km² and has a population of 394,393 inhabitants for an overall density of 218 hab/km²...
.
The present Mayor is Élio Manuel Delgado da Maia, elected by a coalition between the Social Democratic Party
Social Democratic Party (Portugal)
The Social Democratic Party , is a centre-right liberal conservative political party in Portugal. It is commonly known by its initials, PSD; on ballot papers, its initials appear as PPD/PSD, with the first three letters coming from the party's original name, Democratic People's Party...
and the Democratic Social Centre.
The municipal holiday is 12 May.
City Information
The seat of the municipality is the city of Aveiro, with about 67,003 inhabitants in the 5 urban city (cidade) parishes. Located on the shore of the Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, Aveiro is an industrial city with an important seaport. The city of Aveiro is also the capital of the District of Aveiro
Aveiro (district)
Aveiro District is located in the central coastal region of Portugal. The capital of the district is the city of Aveiro, which also serves as the seat of Aveiro Municipality and as the see of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Aveiro, created 1938....
, and the largest city in the Baixo Vouga
Baixo Vouga
Baixo Vouga is a Portuguese subregion integrated in the Centro Region. It is centered around the city of Aveiro. Other major cities include Águeda, Ílhavo and Ovar. The subregion covers an area of 1,807 km² and has a population of 394,393 inhabitants for an overall density of 218 hab/km²...
intermunicipal community subregion.
Transportation
Trains: the city is serviced by Alfa Pendular (Lisbon<->Braga; Lisbon<->Oporto; Faro<->Oporto) and Intercity (Intercidades: Lisbon<->Oporto and Lisbon<->Guimarães) trains, Regional trains, Suburban Trains (Urbanos do Porto) and also a narrow gauge route (direct connections to Águeda and Sernada do Vouga).Boats: moliceiros in Ria for hire to tourists, for fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
purposes and recreational ones like regattas.
Routes/Primary expressways: A 1 (Porto <> Lisbon); A 25 (Viseu
Viseu
Viseu is both a city and a municipality in the Dão-Lafões Subregion of Centro Region, Portugal. The municipality, with an area of 507.1 km², has a population of 99,593 , and the city proper has 47,250...
<>Guarda
Guarda, Portugal
Guarda is a city in Guarda Municipality, Portugal. The city has a population of 32 111Guarda was founded in 1199 by the second king of Portugal, Sancho I....
<> Vilar Formoso
Vilar Formoso
Vilar Formoso is a town and civil parish in the municipality of Almeida, Portugal. One of the most important border crossings between Portugal and Spain is located just next to the town...
).
Regional Airport: Aerodromo de Aveiro/São Jacinto (LPAV).
Port/Harbour (harbor): Porto de Aveiro (Ílhavo/Aveiro).
Malls
Aveiro and environs have several shopping centers and malls. The most central one being Forum Aveiro with clothes stores, restaurant zone, a book shop and a cinema.Tourism
Gafanha da Nazaré
Gafanha da Nazaré is a city and parish in the municipality of Ílhavo in Portugal. It covers an area of and had a population of 14,021 as of 2001.-Museums:*Casa Gafanhoa*Navio Museu Santo André...
.
Gastronomy
Aveiro is known in Portugal for its traditional sweets, ovos moles, trouxas de ovos, both made from eggs and "tripa de aveiro".Aveiro nickname
Aveiro is sometimes called "The Portuguese VeniceVenice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
", because of its canals and boats that remind one of the Italian city of Venice, as the city faced similar problems when it tried to conquer the water.
History
The city dates back at least to the 10th century when it was known by its first Latin name of Alavarium, literally, "a gathering place or preserve of birds." The MoorsMoors
The description Moors has referred to several historic and modern populations of the Maghreb region who are predominately of Berber and Arab descent. They came to conquer and rule the Iberian Peninsula for nearly 800 years. At that time they were Muslim, although earlier the people had followed...
invaded and then held it until the 11th century, after which it became popular with Portuguese royalty. In the winter of 1575, a terrible storm closed the entrance to its port, ending a thriving trade in metal
Metal
A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...
s and tile
Tile
A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as tabletops...
s. The same storm also created a reef barrier at the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
.
Industry
The city is also famous for its production of saltSalt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
and for its seaweed
Seaweed
Seaweed is a loose, colloquial term encompassing macroscopic, multicellular, benthic marine algae. The term includes some members of the red, brown and green algae...
harvest, which is used for fertilizer in the area.
Famous people
The famous explorer João AfonsoAfonso de Paiva
Afonso de Paiva was a Portuguese diplomat and explorer of Ethiopia and the Barbary Coast together with Pêro da Covilhã. According to James Bruce, Afonso left Pêro da Covilhã at Aden, and proceeded to Suakin where he hoped to join a caravan to his destination. The further details of his life are...
was born in Aveiro. He was the first European to visit the region of Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and named the river located there, the Rio Fermoso. He helped to build a fort in Mina
Elmina Castle
Elmina Castle was erected by Portugal in 1482 as São Jorge da Mina Castle, also known simply as Mina or Feitoria da Mina) in present-day Elmina, Ghana . It was the first trading post built on the Gulf of Guinea, so is the oldest European building in existence below the Sahara...
. Unfortunately, he never came back to Portugal; he died in the region and is credited for bringing to Lisbon the first pepper that ever came out of those parts. He was also credited as one of the discoverers of the Newfoundland fisheries.
Zeca Afonso
Zeca Afonso
José Manuel Cerqueira Afonso dos Santos, known as Zeca Afonso or just Zeca , was born in Aveiro, Portugal, the son of José Nepomuceno Afonso, a judge, and Maria das Dores. Zeca is among the most influential folk and political musicians in Portuguese history...
was a singer and composer.
The city is also famous for the Convento de Jesus (now known as the City Museum "Santa Joana"), built in the 15th century, which contains the tomb of the daughter of Afonso V
Afonso V of Portugal
Afonso V KG , called the African , was the twelfth King of Portugal and the Algarves. His sobriquet refers to his conquests in Northern Africa.-Early life:...
, St. Joana, who died in 1490. The presence of this royal personage, beatified in 1693, proved to be of great benefit when she bequeathed her valuable estate to the convent. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the convent housed a school of embroidery, which produced many of the sumptuous pieces kept in the museum.
Aveiro University
The University of Aveiro was created in 1973 and is considered one of the most dynamic and innovative universities of Portugal, attracting thousands of students to the city.The University has about 430 professors (with Ph.D. degrees), 11,000 undergraduate students, and 1,300 post-graduate students.
Sports
Sport Clube Beira-Mar, an association football club, currently play in the Liga ZON Sagres, the first-tier of Portuguese football. News from local newspapers are available at http://www.recortes.pt.Beira-Mar Sport Club (founded 1922) has a sports academy with various youth levels participating in all kinds of sports codes notably in Basketball and Futsal in both National and Provincial levels.
The other long established club in the city 'Os Galitos' was founded in 1904 and water related sports such as swimming, sailing and rowing are some of it's longest traditional strongest specialities, other sections in the club include chess, basketball, snooker, pool and billiards among others, but rowing is the modality in which the club has a maintained a long and proud tradition going back more than one hundred years, reaching the highest possible excelence as a club with several of it's individual and team of rowers having represented Portugal Internationaly and at the Olimpic games with good classifications on more than a just few occasions.
Twin towns — Sister cities
Aveiro's sister citiesTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
are: - Viseu
Viseu
Viseu is both a city and a municipality in the Dão-Lafões Subregion of Centro Region, Portugal. The municipality, with an area of 507.1 km², has a population of 99,593 , and the city proper has 47,250...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
- Viana do Castelo, Portugal, since 1910 - Belém
Belém
Belém is a Brazilian city, the capital and largest city of state of Pará, in the country's north region. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon with a busy port, airport and bus/coach station...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, since 1970 - Pelotas
Pelotas
Pelotas is a Brazilian city and municipality , the third most populous in the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul. Pelotas is located 270 km from Porto Alegre, the capital city of the state, and 130 km from the Uruguayan border...
, Brazil, since 1970 - Bourges
Bourges
Bourges is a city in central France on the Yèvre river. It is the capital of the department of Cher and also was the capital of the former province of Berry.-History:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, since 1989 - Inhambane
Inhambane
Inhambane, Terra de Boa Gente is a city located in southern Mozambique, lying on Inhambane Bay, 470 km northeast of Maputo. It is the capital of the Inhambane Province and according to the 2008 census has a population of 65,837, growing from the 1997 census of 54,157...
, Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, since 1989 - Arcachon
Arcachon
Arcachon is a commune in the Gironde department in southwestern France.It is a popular bathing location on the Atlantic coast southwest of Bordeaux in the Landes forest...
, France, since 1989 - Ciudad Rodrigo
Ciudad Rodrigo
Ciudad Rodrigo is a small cathedral city in the province of Salamanca, in western Spain, with a population of about 14,000. It is the seat of a judicial district as well....
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, since 1989 - Forlì
Forlì
Forlì is a comune and city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, and is the capital of the province of Forlì-Cesena. The city is situated along the Via Emilia, to the right of the Montone river, and is an important agricultural centre...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, since 1990 - Santa Cruz, Cape Verde
Cape Verde
The Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
, since 1993 - Pemba
Pemba, Mozambique
Pemba is a port city in Mozambique. It is the capital of the province of Cabo Delgado and lies on a peninsula in Pemba Bay.The town was founded by the Niassa Company in 1904 as Porto Amélia, after a queen of Portugal, at the peninsula's south western tip and has grown around a port. The city is...
, Mozambique, since 1995 - Cubatão, Brazil, since 1997 - Venezia, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, since 1998 - Newark
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, USA - Wallingford, CT, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
, USA - Ōita
Oita, Oita
is the capital city of Ōita Prefecture located on the island of Kyushu, Japan.- Demographics and geography :Ōita is the most populous city in Ōita Prefecture...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, since 1978 - Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
See also
- Centro Region
- Duchy of Aveiro
- Aveiro District
- Aveiro LagoonAveiro LagoonThe Aveiro lagoon is a lagoon in Portugal. It is located on the Atlantic coast of Portugal, south the municipalitiy of Espinho and north of Mira . Its average area covers approximately 75 km². It is named after the city of Aveiro, which is the chief urban centre located nearby the lagoon...
- Mário SacramentoMário SacramentoMário Emílio de Morais Sacramento was a Portuguese physician and essayist that became famous for his antifascist activities against the dictatorial regime led by Oliveira Salazar in Portugal....