Santa Maria da Feira is a city on the Douro Litoral, in the North of Portugal. Terra de Santa Maria, located at the intersection of the North-South and Coastal-Interior axes, has a geographical positioning that, since ancient times, has made this region a place for many people to meet and pass through. This is proven by the existence of the Roman roads that linked Lisbon to Braga (an ancient landmark found in Ul) and Porto to Viseu. These communication routes continued to be used throughout the Middle Ages and until the last century. After the reconquest, based on the old administrative division of convents, three development poles became evident in the region: The Cucujães Monastery, the Arouca Monastery and the Feira Castle. The Feira Castle, being a place for paying tribute, was a privileged place for trading various products, so the population settled around it, giving rise to the current city of Santa Maria da Feira. The settlement of Terra de Santa Maria is already very old, as evidenced by the presence of several funerary monuments (mamoas), dating back to the 4th-5th millennium BC, as well as pre-Roman or Romanized castros (fortified settlements). The empire brought Roman roads, for military or commercial needs, and several traces of roads and bridges from that time are still visible, many of which are still well preserved. We have been left with testimonies of military architecture from the Middle Ages, of which the Feira Castle is the most imposing and representative. But it is in religious architecture that monumentality reaches its maximum expression: convents, churches and cruises — from Romanesque to Baroque — are often a mirror of the passing of time, through interventions carried out at different times. Until its elevation to city status on August 14, 1985, it was known as Vila da Feira. It is here, more specifically in the parish of Espargo, that the largest and most modern congress center in the country, Europarque, and a science center, Visionarium, are located, both belonging to the Portuguese Business Association. The Europarque expansion project is currently being prepared, with a view to receiving various services in the area surrounding the current complex.
Terra de Santa Maria, located at the intersection of the North-South
and Coastal-Interior axes, has a geographical positioning that, since
ancient times, has made this region a place for many people to meet and
pass through. This is proven by the existence of the Roman roads that
linked Lisbon to Braga (an ancient landmark found in Ul) and Porto to
Viseu. These communication routes continued to be used throughout the
Middle Ages and until the last century.
After the reconquest,
based on the old administrative division of convents, three development
poles became evident in the region: The Cucujães Monastery, the Arouca
Monastery and the Feira Castle.
The Feira Castle, being a place
for paying tribute, was a privileged place for trading various products,
so the population settled around it, giving rise to the current city of
Santa Maria da Feira.
The settlement of Terra de Santa Maria is
already very old, as evidenced by the presence of several funerary
monuments (mamoas), dating back to the 4th-5th millennium BC, as well as
pre-Roman or Romanized castros (fortified settlements). The empire
brought Roman roads, for military or commercial needs, and several
traces of roads and bridges from that time are still visible, many of
which are still well preserved.
We have been left with
testimonies of military architecture from the Middle Ages, of which the
Feira Castle is the most imposing and representative. But it is in
religious architecture that monumentality reaches its maximum
expression: convents, churches and cruises — from Romanesque to Baroque
— are often a mirror of the passing of time, through interventions
carried out at different times.
It is here, more specifically in
the parish of Espargo, that the largest and most modern congress center
in the country, Europarque, and a science center, Visionarium, are
located, both belonging to the Portuguese Business Association. The
Europarque expansion project is currently being prepared, with a view to
receiving various services in the area surrounding the current complex.
The toponym “feira” appears for the first time, in a diploma from
1117, signed by D. Teresa «in terra sancte marie ubi vocant feira», as
well as in other documents from the beginning of 1120, when D. Teresa
stayed at Castelo da Feira . On June 27, 1407, the Santa Maria fair was
benefited by D. João I, who, at the request of his knight João Alvares
Pereira, lord of the Land of Santa Maria, ordered that a fortnightly
open market be held in the «dicta villa da feyra”, with all the
privileges of Trancoso. Vila da Feira, in Terra de Santa Maria, was
transformed into the head of a county in 1472 by D. Afonso V, creating
Casa da Feira and giving the title of 1st Count of Feira to Rui Pereira.
This House continued until 1700, when the last of these Pereira died
without issue.
Until its elevation to city status on August 14,
1985, it was called Vila da Feira.
Public transport
There is a route of an urban bus that connects
different areas of the municipality: called Transfeira, it is operated
by the city.
TF Cavaco (via Hospital → Continente → Escola secundaria
→ Av. Sá Carneiro → Espargo → Europarque → Pingo Doce → Balteiro → Esc.
Fernando Pessoa → Esc. Secondary → Continent → Historical Center → R.
Vit. Sá → J. Freguesia → Hospital → Av. Desp. Feirense → Av. Belchior
Costa → Est. Piedade → Casa dos Poplars → Sanfins (EN223) → Centro
Desportivo → Circunvalação → Est. from the chip → Esc. Ferreira de
Almeida → Vila Nova de Gaia)
It is a one-way route with 48 stops,
running nine times on weekdays, from 07:15 to 19: 45, with reduced
service on weekends and holidays.
By decree of June 21, 1879, the parishes of Cortegaça, Esmoriz and Maceda, which belonged to the municipality of Santa Maria da Feira, became part of the municipality of Ovar. In the years 1864 to 1890, the parish of Lever belonged to the municipality of Arouca, becoming part of Feira by decree of November 21, 1895. By decree nº 12,457, of October 11, 1926, the parishes of Esmojães, Anta , Paramos and Silvalde, also from this municipality, became part of the municipality of Espinho. By this same decree, the parish of Lever, in this municipality, became part of the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia, in the district of Porto.