Situated in the Setúbal Peninsula, Seixal city has its highlight on its beautiful natural Bay that led into a great bound with the Tagus river throughout the centuries.
Supposedly, the toponym "Seixal" comes from a type of smooth stone (“seixo“) usually found in rivers, being the city named after these stones.
In fact, the Seixal Bay has been used since the Roman occupation period, and later was of extreme importance during the 14th and 15th centuries for the Discoveries Period success, with the setting of the shipyards that would build and mend boats that would discover much of the modern world. The “Núcleo Naval de Arrentela” is a great testimony of this important historical mark, and here one can appreciate several models and traditional Tagus river embarkations and visit the factory where the boats are built.
Land of fishermen and rich farms (the “Quintas”), Seixal developed through the centuries always with a great bound with the Tagus river, that provided fresh products from its fertile waters and also existing as a great trade and communication tool.
Seixal was also an important vacation resort for aristocracy from Lisboa surroundings during the 1700’s.
In the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, all the region was marked by a strong industrial development that even nowadays is quite visible from the Bay, through the surrounding factories that used the river as an excellent trading and communication ally.
With the development of the industry, also the professional variety and all the residential and urban area got a huge boost.
Seixal has several interesting highlights, like its wonderful Eco-Museum, with headquarters in “Torre da Marinha”, including the 15th century Corroios Watermill (“moinho de maré de Corroios”) and other smaller windmills throughout the region.
The natural heritage of Seixal borough is also quite rich, with 10% of its area situated in an National Ecological Reserve, with several wetlands areas, like the “Sapal de Corroios”, the “Sapal de Coina” and the “Sapal do Talaminho”, providing superb panoramas.
The religious heritage is present in the lovely Nossa Senhora da Conceição Church (dated of 1728, with several restorations afterwards), in the Nossa Senhora do Monte Sião da Amora Church, in the 14th century Nossa Senhora da Graça Church, in Corroios, or the 15th century Nossa Senhora da Consolação Church, in Arrentela, among many other buildings, testimonies and festivities.
The Quinta da Fidalga Estate with its lovely pond, the Quinta da Trindade Estate or the once important Mundet Cork Factory are interesting historical testimonies of the Seixal’s evolution over the centuries, that can be also observed in the historical centres of Seixal, Arrentela, Amora de Cima and Amora de Baixo and of the Paio Pires Village.
