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Matosinhos

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Matosinhos
Settlement
Flag of Matosinhos
Flag
Coat of arms of Matosinhos
Coat of arms
Country Portugal
RegionNorte
Metropolitan areaPorto
DistrictPorto
Area
 • Total62.42 km2 (24.10 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
 • Total175,478
 • Density2,800/km2 (7,300/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC±00:00 (WET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+01:00 (WEST)
Websitehttp://www.cm-matosinhos.pt

Matosinhos is a city and a municipality in northern Portugal. It is bordered to the south by the city of Porto and lies within the Greater Porto subregion. The population in 2011 was 175,478,[1] in an area of 62.42 km².[2] The city proper had a population of 45,703 in 2001.[3]

The city was the birthplace of the architect Siza Vieira. It was also where poet Florbela Espanca died: a local library is named after her. Matosinhos is located on the seacoast and is a commercial and industrial centre in the Porto Metropolitan Area. Matosinhos has good summer weather, nice beaches, but cool water temperature.

On the Matosinhos waterfront, She Changes sculpture by artist Janet Echelman
IKEA in Matosinhos

History and landmarks

When Portugal was established in the 12th century, Matosinhos already existed - it was called at that time Vila de Matesinum. One of the first official records referring to Matusiny dates from 1258, the result of Afonso III inquiries. At that time Matosinhos was a humble place, part of the parish of Sandim. Matosinhos has some local landmarks such as Forte de Nossa Senhora Da Conceição.

In 2005, the municipality funded a public sculpture to be built in the Waterfront Plaza of Matosinhos. The resulting sculpture is entitled She Changes [4] by American artist, Janet Echelman,[5] and spans the height of 50x150x150 meters.

Parishes

Administratively, the municipality is divided into 4 civil parishes (freguesias):[6]

Economy

The international Leixões Cruise Terminal and a large oil refinery of Galp Energia, are located in Leça da Palmeira, Matosinhos. EFACEC, a leading Portuguese company in the electromechanics industry, is headquartered in the city. Pedro Hispano Hospital (after Pedro Hispano), is one of the most comprehensive state-run hospitals of Portugal, and serves the entire Porto Metropolitan Area.

Sports

Matosinhos municipality is home to Portuguese top flight club Leixões Sport Club as well as Leça Futebol Clube and other minor clubs.

List of Matosinhos teams

Twin towns

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Matosinhos.
  1. ^ Instituto Nacional de Estatística
  2. ^ Direção-Geral do Território
  3. ^ UMA POPULAÇÃO QUE SE URBANIZA, Uma avaliação recente – Cidades, 2004 Nuno Pires Soares, Instituto Geográfico Português (Geographic Institute of Portugal)
  4. ^ [1] Sculpture Magazine July–August 2005
  5. ^ She Changes Janet Echelman's website
  6. ^ Diário da República. "Law nr. 11-A/2013, pages 552 68-69" (pdf) (in Portuguese). Retrieved 28 July 2014.


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