Aveiro, Portugal

Aveiro
Aveiro
City
	Downtown of Aveiro.
	Flag Coat of arms
	Location in Portugal
Country	Portugal
Region	Centro
Subregion	Baixo Vouga
District/A.R.	Aveiro
Government
• Mayor	Élio Maia (PSD-CDS)
Area
• Total	199.9 km2 (77.2 sq mi)
Population
• Total	73,559
• Density	368/km2 (950/sq mi)
Parishes (no.)	14
Municipal holiday	; May 12
Website	http://www.cm-aveiro.pt

Aveiro (Portuguese pronunciation: [aˈvɐjɾu]) 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 municipalityis 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.

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.

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 and for fishing purposes.
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).

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

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.

Gastronomy

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

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.

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.

Industry

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

Famous people

The famous explorer João Afonso 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, 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.^[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, beautified 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.

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.