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Origins and Roman era[edit]
The oldest traces of human settlement in this territory extend back thousands of years and include instruments and Paleolithic artifacts found in beaches such as Boa Nova and Almeiriga. The land's settlement began around 5000 years ago, during the Neolithic, as evidenced from various funeral monuments and dolmens in Lavra, Perafita, Leça do Balio, Santa Cruz do Bispo, Guifões and São Gens.
At the end of the Bronze Age, settlements expanded into castros, proto-urban agglomerations at high altitudes. These existed in the northwestern regions of the Iberian Peninsula and predominated until the 1st century. Remnants of castros remain throughout the municipality, the most notable being Castro of Monte Castelo in Guifões, by the estuary of the Leça river.
After the Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in the 1st century BC, the territory's was developed to support communication and commerce. New roads and bridges were built, including a road between the roman cities of Cale (Porto) and Bracara Augusta (Braga) and Ponte da Pedra, a bridge over the Leça river. The navigability of the estuary of the Leça River permitted goods from the Roman Empire to be discharged in the area of Castro of Monte Castelo and distributed to other sites within the region. Around the 4th and 5th centuries, a Roman villa and salt production and fish salting structures were built in Angeiras (Lavra), in the north of the municipality.
Middle Ages[edit]
Between the 5th and 7th centuries, the area became a part of the Kingdom of the Suebi and later the Visigothic Kingdom. During this period, Castro of Monte Castelo was abandoned, while the previous Roman settlement in Angeiras remained populated and included a monastery, as referred in the administrative document Parochiale suevorum [pt].
In the 10th century, the Monastery of Bouças was founded in Bouças de Baixo, in the northeast of what is now the city of Matosinhos. It housed the image of Bom Jesus (Good Jesus) of Bouças (nowadays of Matosinhos), an important local religious icon. A settlement gradually formed around the monastery, leading to the creation of the administrative centre of the Julgado de Bouças in the 13th century. Matosinhos itself also dates back to the 10th century, appearing in records as Matesinus, and later as Matusiny, in the 1258 Inquirições of Afonso III. At that time, it was a modest settlement within the parish of Sandim.[better source needed]The facade of the Monastery of Leça de BalioAlso during the 10th century, the Monastery of Leça do Balio [pt] was established near Ponte da Pedra. In the 12th century, likely between 1112 and 1128, Countess Theresa of Portugal donated the monastery to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, marking their first foothold in the country. In 1140, King Afonso I granted the order jurisdiction over the parishes of Leça, Custóias, Barreiros, Gueifães and S. Mamede. The order also owned other properties in the region, including the monasteries of Lavra, Moreira and Aldoar.
By the end of the 14th century, the small community of Franciscan friars installed themselves along the beach of Boa Nova, founding the Oratory of São Clement das Penhas. This small convent would give rise to the Convent of Conceição de Leça, which was founded in the 15th century, where the municipal park of Quinta da Conceição exists nowadays.
Modern era[edit]
In 1514, Matosinhos received a foral (charter) from King Manuel I, asserting it as an important agricultural center. Matosinhos becomes an important supplier of goods to Porto, at a time when the parishes of Ramalde, Foz and Aldoar were part of the territory of Matosinhos.The Church of Bom Jesus of MatosinhosDuring the 16th century, the Church of Bom Jesus of Matosinhos (Igreja do Bom Jesus de Matosinhos) was built and the image of Bom Jesus (Good Jesus) was transferred there from the Monastery of Bouças. As people from Matosinhos emigrate to Brazil during the Age of Discoveries, the cult to the image grows abroad, culminating with the founding of the Confraria do São Salvador de Bouças during the 17th century.[citation needed] Supported by the growing worship and the gold mined in Brazil, the church was remodeled in the 18th century by Italian architect Nicolau Nasoni. The architect had worked in other projects in the municipality, such as the estates of Chantre (Leça do Balio) and Bispo (Santa Cruz do Bispo), as well as the Chapel of São Francisco (in the Quinta do Conceição).
In 1638, a decision was taken by the count of Penaguião, D. João Sá e Menezes, to build the Fort of Leça da Palmeira. The fort would be located in the northern shore of the Leça river estuary and it would improve coastal defenses near Porto. The fort would receive its first garrison in 1646, but it wasn't until 1720 that construction was completed. By 1844, the fort no longer hosted a garrison or served a military purpose, instead being repurposed for civil functions.
In 1832, during the Liberal Wars an army under the command of D. Pedro disembarked in the beach in Arnosa do Pampelido, starting a military offensive in continental Portugal that would depose the conservative traditionalists in favor of the liberal constitutionalists. In 1862, an obelisk made of granite was inaugurated celebrating this victory, including a speech attributed to the king believed to have said prior to disembarking.A turn-of-the-century perspective in Matosinhos: part of the annual sardine fishing seasonIn 1833, during the administrative reforms, the municipality of Bouças was created, encompassing the localities of Bouças, Guifões, Leça da Palmeira, Nevogilde, Ramalde and Lordelo do Ouro. In 1836, it was expanded to include the localities of Aldoar, Custoias, Infesta, Leça do Balio, Santa Cruz do Bispo, Lavra, Perafita and Paranhos (until 1837), the majority of which had been a part of the old Couto de Leça, while Lordelo do Ouro was ceded to Porto municipality. As the seat of the municipality with 500 households, Bouças was elevated into a town in the locality of Senhora da Hora. In 1853, the seat was moved to the newly established town of Matosinhos, encompassing the civil parishes of Matosinhos and Leça da Palmeira. In 1985, the municipality underwent its last territorial changes, when the localities of Nevogilde, Ramalde and Aldoar were transferred to Porto, upon the opening of circunvalação, a ring road around Porto that would define its city limits. In 1909, the municipality changed its name to Matosinhos, since locality of Bouças had lost its significance.
At the end of the 19th century, the Port of Leixões was constructed to provide a sheltered port to service the city of Porto, which supported Matosinhos's fishing industry and led to the development of a local fish canning industry. Production and exports of canned fish in Matosinhos rose during the world wars and peaked between 1940 and 1960, when there were a total of 54 factories. Between 1970 and 1989, the industry started declining and several factories closed down.
The Port of Leixões and the fishing industry contributed to economic development and a growth in resident population and in 1984 Matosinhos became a city.
