Aveiro

**Aveiro**
	Aveiro
	Municipal flag
	Municipal coat of arms
	Downtown of Aveiro.
Location
- Country	Portugal
- Region	Centro
- Subregion	Baixo Vouga
- District or A.R.	Aveiro
Mayor	Élio Maia
- Party	PSD-CDS
Area	199.9 km²
Population
- Total	73,559
- Density	368/km²
No. of parishes	14
Coordinates	40º37'N 8º38'W
Municipal holiday	; May 12
	Website: http://www.cm-aveiro.pt

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Aveiro (Portuguese pronunciation: [aˈvɐjɾu]) is a city of some 73.559 people and a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 199.9 km² and 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 that makes it one of the most important by population density in Centro region within a few km².

The municipality (municipio) is composed of 14 parishes (freguesias), and is located in the District of Aveiro (Aveiro distrito) 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 May 12.

[edit] Parishes

Aradas
Cacia (town pt.: vila)
Eirol
Eixo
Esgueira
Glória (in Aveiro city centre)
Nariz
Nossa Senhora de Fátima
Oliveirinha
Requeixo
Santa Joana
São Bernardo
São Jacinto (located on an eponymous peninsula, between the Atlantic and Ria de Aveiro (Aveiro Laggoon))
Vera Cruz (Aveiro city centre).

All of the above parishes (freguesias, in Portuguese) are considered urban.

[edit] 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 Ocean, 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.

[edit] Transportation

Trains: The city is serviced by regional trains and Alfa Pendular/fast trains to Porto (Porto, Lisbon, Coimbra, Braga) Norte line, and regional/suburbans (automotoras to Agueda Vouga line). Boats: Moliceiros in Ria for hire to tourists/fishing. Cabs and rent a car: for hire. Routes/Primary expressways: A 1 (Porto <> Lisbon); A 25 (Viseu <>Guarda <> Vilar Formoso). Regional Airport: Aerodromo de Aveiro/Sao Jacinto (PAV). Port/Harbour (harbor): Porto de Aveiro (Ilhavo/Aveiro).

[edit] Malls

Aveiro and environs have several shopping centers and many malls.

[edit] Tourism

Several attrations in city of Aveiro: cathedral, canals. Peninsula de Sao Jacinto beaches. Nearby: Ilhavo ceramica de Vista Alegre and beaches of Barra and Costa Nova do Prado, Gafanha da Nazare.

Aveiro's canal

[edit] Gastronomy

Aveiro is known in Portugal for its traditional sweets, the ovos-moles and the trouxas de ovos, both made from eggs.

[edit] Aveiro nickname

Aveiro is sometimes called "The Portuguese Venice", 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.

[edit] History

The city dates back at least to the 10th century when it was known by its first Latin name of Aviarium, literally, "a gathering place or preserve of birds". The Moors 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 metals and tiles. The same storm also created a reef barrier at the Atlantic Ocean.

[edit] Industry

The city is also famous for its production of salt and for its seaweed harvest, which is used for fertiliser in the area.

[edit] Famous people

The famous explorer João Afonso was also born in Aveiro. He was the first European to visit the region of Benin in Nigeria and named the river located there, Rio Fermoso. He helped to build a fort in Mina: 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 singer and composer.^[1]

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 1673, 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.

[edit] 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. degree), 11,000 undergraduate students and 1,300 post-graduate students.

[edit] Sports

Beira-Mar {Aveiro} football (soccer) club. News from local newspapers are available at http://www.recortes.pt.

[edit] Gallery

Typical azulejo facades of Aveiro.	A square in Aveiro.	A street in Aveiro.	Street in Aveiro.
Aveiro streets by night	Cathedral of Aveiro	Aveiro and one of its canals	The old train station