in the harbour of Vila do Conde: many mariners from the village were involved in the epic voyages during the Age of Discovery -style church portico in the Matrice Church along
Rua da Igreja, constructed from the wealth of Portuguese discoveries 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. The
Praça Nova (), today
Praça Vasco da Gama was opened in 1538, during the reign of King
John III of Portugal, and where the municipal buildings were located.
Manuel I conceded a
foral (royal charter) in 1516, due to the active and integral participation of its population during the exploration of the new lands in
India. Of these mariners of note, were the brothers Paulo and Francisco Faria, who were on
Vasco da Gama's expeditionary voyage. During the 19th century, French troops were responsible for the destruction and pillaging of many of the infrastructures and deaths. By the middle of the 19th century, the town had one ecclesiastical parish, dedicated to
Saint John the Baptist, founded by
Manuel I of Portugal, and erected by the archbishop of
Braga, Diogo de Sousa in 1518. In addition, the community included the
Church of the Misericordia, hospital, six chapels, municipal building, customhouse, the Convent of Santa Clara (now remodelled and expanded since its construction), and the
Convent of Nossa Senhora da Encarnação. In addition, the secular buildings included a small theatre, a
recreational assembly and ornate dock of rock on the right margin of the Ave River towards its mouth, and across from the Chapel of
Nossa Senhora da Guia. In 1987, the urbanized area was elevated to the status of city. ==Geography==