Setubal Attractions
The industrial city and district capital of Setúbal, situated on the wide estuary of the Rio Sado, is Portugal's fourth largest city and third largest port, with important fish canneries, a car assembly plant, shipyards and saltpans. The Roman town which occupied this site was founded in the fifth C. to replace the Celtic settlement of Cetobriga on the Tróia peninsula to the southeast, which was destroyed by a tidal wave.
A royal residence for a time in the 15th C., Setúbal is also the birthplace of the poet and satirical writer Manuel Maria de Barbosa du Bocage (1765-1805; small museum in the house where he was born in the Rua do Sao Domingo).
Townscape
Setúbal is quite attractive for an industrial city. On the Rio Sado waterfront are the docks, the marina and the fishing harbor, where brisk auctions take place every morning when the fishermen have unloaded the day's catch. North of the waterfront runs one of the city's main throughfares, the Avenida de Luisa Todi, named after the celebrated operasinger (1754-1833), who was born in Setúbal. The crowded and picturesque old town, centerd around the Praça do Bocage with its statue of the poet, is on the other side of this avenue, and contains the few sights of the city spared by the 1755 earthquake.
A royal residence for a time in the 15th C., Setúbal is also the birthplace of the poet and satirical writer Manuel Maria de Barbosa du Bocage (1765-1805; small museum in the house where he was born in the Rua do Sao Domingo).
Townscape
Setúbal is quite attractive for an industrial city. On the Rio Sado waterfront are the docks, the marina and the fishing harbor, where brisk auctions take place every morning when the fishermen have unloaded the day's catch. North of the waterfront runs one of the city's main throughfares, the Avenida de Luisa Todi, named after the celebrated operasinger (1754-1833), who was born in Setúbal. The crowded and picturesque old town, centerd around the Praça do Bocage with its statue of the poet, is on the other side of this avenue, and contains the few sights of the city spared by the 1755 earthquake.
Archeology and Folklore Museum
The Archeology and Folklore Museum next door to the Igreja de Santa Maria da Graça, has displays of tools and implements used in farming and fishing around Setúbal, and also model ships.
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | Closed |
| Close | 12:30 | 12:30 | 12:30 | 12:30 | 12:30 | ||
| Open | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | 14:00 | ||
| Close | 17:50 | 17:50 | 17:50 | 17:50 | 17:50 |
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
Anniversity of the Revolution - Portugal (April 25)
May Day / Labor Day (May 1)
National Day - Portugal (June 10)
Assumption Day - Christian (August 15)
Republic Day - Portugal (October 5)
All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1)
Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8)
Independence Day - Portugal (December 1)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Good Friday - Christian (Apr 06)
Corpus Christi - Christian (Jun 10)
Anniversity of the Revolution - Portugal (April 25)
May Day / Labor Day (May 1)
National Day - Portugal (June 10)
Assumption Day - Christian (August 15)
Republic Day - Portugal (October 5)
All Saints' Day - Christian (November 1)
Feast of the Immaculate Conception (December 8)
Independence Day - Portugal (December 1)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Good Friday - Christian (Apr 06)
Corpus Christi - Christian (Jun 10)
Castelo de Sao Filipe
Above the city, to the west, is the Castelo de Sao Filipe, built in the late 16th C. by the Italian military engineer Filippo Terzi. Part of it is now a pousada and there is a good view from here over the city and its surroundings.
Feira de Sao Tiago
Regional agricultural, industrial and crafts fair, folk displays, bullfights (usually until August).
Igreja de Jesús
The Igreja de Jesús is in the west of the old town. It was Portugal's first Manueline church, begun in 1490/91 under the direction of Diogo de Boytaca, who went on to be architect of the convents at Batalha and Belém. Inside the relatively unadorned exterior can be seen impressive stellar vaulting in the choir and azulejo scenes from the life of the Virgin.
Igreja de Santa Maria da Graça
The church of Santa Maria da Graça at the east end of the old town dates back to a 13th C. building which was almost completely reconstructed in the 16th C. Its carved and gilded altars date from the 16th and 17th C., and the azulejos are 18th C.
Igreja de Sao Juliao
The church of Sao Juliao just southeast of the Praça do Bocage is worth seeing. Originally 16th C., it was almost completely rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake.
Museu de Setúbal
The monastic buildings adjoining the Igreja de Jesús and 17th C. Arrábida marble cloister of the Convento de Jesús now house the city's museum, with pictures by Portuguese, Flemish and Catalan artists and local archeological discoveries.
