AVEIRO was already an important town in the 12th century.

From the reign of D. Afonso Henriques until that of D. José I, it belonged to the Crown periodically. The majority of its sucessive owners were people related to the monarchs, as for instance, in the time of Jorge of Lancaster, illegitimate son of King John II. To him we owe the construction in 1420 of the walls defending the city which were demolished in the years 1806-1807, in order to improve shore works, with the stone so acquired.

During the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries Aveiro became more important through the prosperity it achived principally by maritime trade. By then, it was a town of 12 000 inhabitants, one of the largest in the Kingdom, possessing an handsome fleet of ships for fishing on the high sea.

The royal grant elevating Aveiro to a city was dated the 11 th April 1779 and the bulI creating the diocese stems from the 11 th April 1774 retracted in 1882 but restored shortly thereafter.

As a sea-side center, Aveiro, in the heart of the Beira Coastland, possesses all the conditions to make it a centre of activity in the vast district which it dominates. Aveiro has certainly managed to give up to its position as a modern city, paying attention to the industrial progress of the region that it dominates.

Touristically Aveiro has a special place in the portuguese panorama. The whole harbour area gives an effect of natural decoration, which is much appreciated by the visitors because of its rich variety of typical and original detail.

The extreme difference in charachter between, on one hand, the people who live by the sea and river and make their living off them, and on the other hand the ones who toil on land engaged in agriculture, doesn't prevent them to have in common a certain something, something portuguese which we don't encounter in a like manner elsewhere. Owing to its beautiful vistas, the river, etc., some call it the «Portuguese Holland», others moved by the poetry of its sunsets and the whispering of its canaIs see in it a «Lusitanian Venice».

To complete this natural picture, to make it even more alive we have the good people of the waterfront and the graceful «tricanas», young girls all in their colourful and distinctive clothes. To make sure that the tourist doesn't miss anything we must add that in Aveiro the fare is of an unique regional charachter that wouldn't be despised anywhere: the famous soft eggs which served in the simple «barricas» reveal a perfect and delicious culinary art to the delighted buyer.