Vila do Conde (, ; "the Count's Town") is a municipality in the Norte Region of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 79,533, in an area of 149.03&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>. The urbanized area of Vila do Conde, which includes the parishes of Vila do Conde, Azurara and Árvore, represent 36,137 inhabitants. Vila do Conde is interlinked to the north with Póvoa de Varzim, forming a single urban agglomeration which is a part of the Porto Metropolitan Area. The town is on the Portuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago.

History

235px|left|thumb|A [[carrack in the harbour of Vila do Conde: many mariners from the village were involved in the epic voyages during the Age of Discovery]]

thumb|235px|left|The [[Manueline-style church portico in the Matrice Church along Rua da Igreja, constructed from the wealth of Portuguese discoveries]]

235px|left|thumb|Matrice Church

Vila do Conde is one of the oldest settlements in northern Portugal. Geological artifacts dating to the Paleolithic have been discovered in sites in the parishes of Modivas, Malta, and Labruge dating from 100,000 to 15,000 years. In other parishes there have also been discoveries of implements and mounds dating back to the Bronze Age and Neolithic periods indicating a period of transition between foraging and sedimentary civilizations. But its ancient origins date back to the Castro of São João (Hillfort of St. John), and other Iron Age castros, that include dispersed settlements in Retorta, Bagunte, Ferreiró, Vairão and Labruge.

Later, King Dinis of Portugal bestowed on Maria Paes da Ribeira these seigneurial holdings (Dinis had long had many illegitimate children with the noblewoman).

In 1318, Afonso Sanches (the illegitimate son of King Dinis of Portugal and Aldonça Rodrigues Telha) and Teresa Martins (daughter of João Afonso de Menez, Count of Barcelos, granddaughter of Sancho IV of Castile) and great-great-granddaughter of Maria Pais da Ribeira, founded the Monastery of Santa Clara. Later referred to as the Convent of Santa Clara, the construction of the monastery developed from the bad relationship between King Dinis and his wife, Queen Elizabeth of Portugal, due to the king's preference for his illegitimate son. The queen re-founded, in 1314, an abandoned monastery in Coimbra, which she renamed Santa Clara. This prompted King Dinis to sponsor and authorize Afonso Sanches to build a monastery of the same invocation on the right bank of the Ave river, where an ancient Celtic hillfort was located. The cornerstone was laid in 1318, and once completed it was deposited in the hands of the Franciscan Order, which he patronized throughout his life, eventually leaving Vila do Conde, its lands and rents, in their possession after his and his wife's deaths. Today it is the ex-libris of Vila do Conde. The priory became the judicial seat, with all the royal rights in the area. Yet, King Edward began to contest these grand privileges during his reign, and King John III of Portugal finally stripped them of those rights in 1537, investing his brother Edward, with the seigneurial titles. At the marriage of Catherine, his daughter, with John I, 6th Duke of Braganza, the Infante Edward passed on the title to the Royal House of Braganza.

During the 16th century, attained the apex of its commercial and maritime importance due to naval construction, associated with the Portuguese Age of Discovery. Many of the historical buildings, such as the port and customshouse, were all integral in the commercial relief of the 16th century. The passage of King Manuel through Vila do Conde, during a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, in 1502, helped to develop some of the important infrastructures in the city: the Matrice Church, Praça Nova and municipal buildings, along with new arterials, were begun under the reign of Manuel I. Over the Hercynian bedrock there is a prevalence of sandy beaches, and in other areas, the erosion of these sands has allowed the exposure of the rocky substrata. There are also deformations associated with the last inter-glacial period, that have affected these sedimentary layers, most commonly in the beach of Sampaio, where deposits have been discovered between various altitudes (5 and 9 metres).

  • Árvore
  • Aveleda
  • Azurara
  • Bagunte, Ferreiró, Outeiro Maior e Parada
  • Fajozes
  • Fornelo e Vairão
  • Gião
  • Guilhabreu
  • Junqueira
  • Labruge
  • Macieira da Maia
  • Malta e Canidelo
  • Mindelo
  • Modivas
  • Retorta e Tougues
  • Rio Mau e Arcos
  • Touguinha e Touguinhó
  • Vila Chã
  • Vila do Conde
  • Vilar e Mosteiró
  • Vilar de Pinheiro

Demographics

Economy

The municipal authorities have promoted a future-looking environment in Vila do Conde, that have concentrated on the tourist market, involving the requalification of many of the historical buildings (such as the Convent and customshouse), in addition to promoting an ocean-centric tourist economy associated with the Programa Polis initiative.

Sport

Rio Ave F.C. is based in the city.

Notable people

thumb|100px|José Régio, 2020

  • Manuel de Sá (1530-1596) a Portuguese Jesuit priest, theologian and exegete.
  • José Maria dos Reis Pereira (1901–1969) pen name José Régio, a Portuguese writer.
  • Albino Aroso (1923–2013) a doctor and politician, known as the father of family planning in Portugal.
  • Manuela Azevedo (born 1970) a Portuguese singer.

Sport

thumb|100px|Hélder Postiga, 2014

  • António André (born 1957) a retired footballer with 412 club caps and 20 for Portugal
  • Paulinho Santos (born 1970) a retired footballer with 287 club caps and 30 for Portugal
  • José Azevedo (born 1973) a Portuguese retired road racing cyclist
  • Emanuel Braga (born 1975), known as Emanuel, a retired footballer with 465 club caps
  • Hélder Postiga (born 1982) a retired footballer with 397 club caps and 71 for Portugal
  • Fábio Coentrão (born 1988) a retired footballer with 240 club caps and 52 for Portugal
  • André André (born 1989) a footballer with over 300 club caps and 3 for Portugal
  • Ana Monteiro (born 1993) a butterfly swimmer, competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics
  • Messias Baptista (born 1999) a sprint canoeist, competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics
  • Raquel Queirós (born 2000) a road cyclist and cross-country mountain biker, competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics

Twin towns – sister cities

Vila do Conde is twinned with:

  • Ferrol, Spain
  • Le Cannet, France
  • Portalegre, Portugal
  • Olinda, Brazil
  • Caruaru, Brazil. (Since 2006)