About Vila Nova de Gaia

Anyone crossing the Douro from Invicta will find Vila Nova de Gaia: the largest municipality in Greater Porto. However, it was not always like this. Vila Nova and Gaia were, until 1383, two autonomous villages. From then on, until the 19th century, they were concentrated in Porto. It was only in 1834, after the Civil War, that the two locations became autonomous again, eventually merging. Thus, the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia was born.

It is in Gaia that Port Wine rests and ages

Port Wine has long had its cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. In fact, it was here that rabelo boats arrived from Régua, loaded with barrels of the best wines, so that they could age for many years. In 1255, D. Afonso III granted the Charter to Gaia to divert maritime trade destined for Porto. With taxes charged on all products sold to and from Porto, wine traders quickly looked for an alternative to escape the “Land Portage”: building cellars in the neighboring town. But it wasn't just political reasons that sent the cellars to the other side of the river. If, on the one hand, the land in Vila Nova de Gaia has more water mines, on the other, due to the location, the pier is sheltered from strong winds, which makes the climate milder. Experts say that these are the ideal conditions to age Port Wine correctly.

A monastery at the top of the Douro

From the top of Serra do Pilar stands an imposing building designed by Diogo Castilho and João de Ruão. Built between 1538 and 1670, the Serra do Pilar Monastery was initially designed to welcome the monks of São Salvador de Grijó.

However, at the beginning of the 19th century, in 1809, it served as a strategic point for the Duke of Wellington's English troops to plan the Portuguese attack on the city of Porto, taken by the French invaders. Later, in 1832, during the Siege of Porto, in the Civil War, it served as a point of resistance for the liberal forces of D. Pedro IV against the absolutist army of D. Miguel.
Successive wars left the monastery in a state of almost total destruction. Still during the reign of D. Maria II, the Royal Brotherhood of Nossa Senhora da Glória do Pilar was created and, later, in the 20th century, the Group of Friends of the Serra do Pilar Monastery was founded, which allowed the monument to be rebuilt and returned give it its former glory.

However, at the beginning of the 19th century, in 1809, it served as a strategic point for the Duke of Wellington's English troops to plan the Portuguese attack on the city of Porto, taken by the French invaders. Later, in 1832, during the Siege of Porto, in the Civil War, it served as a point of resistance for the liberal forces of D. Pedro IV against the absolutist army of D. Miguel.
Successive wars left the monastery in a state of almost total destruction. Still during the reign of D. Maria II, the Royal Brotherhood of Nossa Senhora da Glória do Pilar was created and, later, in the 20th century, the Group of Friends of the Serra do Pilar Monastery was founded, which allowed the monument to be rebuilt and returned give it its former glory.

Points of interest in the city:

Serra do Pilar Monastery
Port Wine Cellars
Santo Inácio Zoo
Jardim do Morro