Figueira da Foz

Figueira da Foz was already inhabited in pre-historical times. Today we still have remains of this occupation that can be seen in the Municipal Museum Dr. Santos Rocha. It was the Mondego River and its large estuary that have facilitated, since the old times, not only the human presence but also the commercial exchanges.
Besides the toponym Figueira means outlet, Foz is equally a "mouth of the river" and so Figueira da Foz means literally an outlet in the river's estuary, a fact that has allowed us to think how easy is was for several people to settle here. Along the centuries several denominations have been added, all of them connected with the morphology of the land. Figueira da Foz has always been a land of shipowners and shipbuilders. Its increasing importance has been recognized by the Marquis of Pombal that has made it a small town in 1771.
From that time we can still see the so called "Casa do Paço" that was built in the end of the 17th century, near the harbour. It still keeps a remarkable set of almost 7.000 tiles from Delft that has been probably taken from a shipwreck in the stay-bar. Besides Casa do Paço and the Delft collection, the Fortress of Santa Catarina is another symbol of this town. But Figueira da Foz has always been a beach and in the last years of the 19th century it was already chosen by many people. This preference was so evident, that in the beginning of the 20th century the town services have become more complex as we can see in the elegant houses from that period.

Figueira da Foz was already inhabited in pre-historical times. Today we still have remains of this occupation that can be seen in the Municipal Museum Dr. Santos Rocha. It was the Mondego River and its large estuary that have facilitated, since the old times, not only the human presence but also the commercial exchanges.

Besides the toponym Figueira means outlet, Foz is equally a "mouth of the river" and so Figueira da Foz means literally an outlet in the river's estuary, a fact that has allowed us to think how easy is was for several people to settle here. Along the centuries several denominations have been added, all of them connected with the morphology of the land.
Figueira da Foz has always been a land of shipowners and shipbuilders. Its increasing importance has been recognized by the Marquis of Pombal that has made it a small town in 1771.

From that time we can still see the so called "Casa do Paço" that was built in the end of the 17th century, near the harbour. It still keeps a remarkable set of almost 7.000 tiles from Delft that has been probably taken from a shipwreck in the stay-bar.
Besides Casa do Paço and the Delft collection, the Fortress of Santa Catarina is another symbol of this town.
But Figueira da Foz has always been a beach and in the last years of the 19th century it was already chosen by many people. This preference was so evident, that in the beginning of the 20th century the town services have become more complex as we can see in the elegant houses from that period.