Vila do Conde, "the count's town", is first documented in 953 as Villa de Comite. Its position on the Rio Ave supported fishing, trade and a major shipbuilding industry during the Portuguese maritime expansion of the 15th and 16th centuries.
Bobbin lace has also been produced here since the 16th century and remains one of the town's distinctive crafts.
Qué ver en Vila do Conde
Capela de Nossa Senhora do Socorro
Gaspar Manuel Carneiro, piloto-mor (chief pilot) on Portugal's routes to India, China and Japan, and his wife Bárbara Ferreira de Almeida founded this chapel in 1603 and are buried inside. Its unusual domed form is traditionally linked to architectural influences Gaspar Manuel encountered in Asia, and the interior is lined with early 18th-century azulejos depicting scenes from the life of Christ.
Nau Quinhentista
This full-size reconstruction represents the type of Portuguese nau sailing around 1500 rather than a replica of a particular surviving ship. It stands beside the former shipyards where Vila do Conde built vessels for Atlantic trade and Portugal's overseas expansion.
Mosteiro de Santa Clara
Afonso Sanches, an illegitimate son of King Dinis, and Teresa Martins founded this Clarisse monastery in 1318. The medieval Gothic church survives beside the enormous convent building begun in 1778, on a hilltop with wide views over Vila do Conde, the Rio Ave and the Atlantic.
Aqueduto de Santa Clara
Built to carry water to the Mosteiro de Santa Clara, this aqueduct was completed in 1714 after an earlier attempt failed because of an incorrect gradient. Originally supported by 999 arches, it is considered Portugal's second most extensive aqueduct, after Lisbon's Águas Livres.
Igreja Matriz
King Manuel I stayed in Vila do Conde during his pilgrimage to Santiago in 1502 and later contributed money towards the construction of this new parish church. Its elaborate main portal is one of the town's finest examples of Manueline architecture.
Dónde alojarse en Vila do Conde
