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Mealhada

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Rui Marqueiro

The Roman presence in Mealhada Municipality is highlighted by a milestone (dating back to 39 AD), part of the route of Roman Olissipo which follows the west side of the river. This finding is exhibited in the lobby of the town hall building. Elbocoris oppidum, or small Roman fort is believed to be at the core of an archaeological site located in Vimieira and dated to the centuries I to IV. Roman coins and pottery have been found in Barcouço.

With the conquest of Coimbra in 878, the territory surrounding Mealhada was reclaimed by the Christian forces, only to return to Arab hands in 987 before being finally regained by the Christians in 1064. Several monasteries were erected in the area, the most important of which was the Vacariça Monastery.

On September 12, 1514 Aveiro and Vacariça received city charter by King Manuel I, but the lands of the present-day Mealhada Municipality remained under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Coimbra.

The great liberal reforms undertaken during the reign of Queen Maria II in the 19th century resolved the territorial controversy.

Mealhada is located in the southern part of the district of Aveiro and Intermunicipal Community - Region of Coimbra. It is close to the university city of Coimbra, being in only 12 km from the center of the city, and therefore is under a significant influence of this metropolis, maintaining a close connection with the city of Coimbra in many matters.

The municipality of Mealhada has a land area of 112 km2 and has a resident population of over 21 000 inhabitants, which is distributed in the six parishes of the municipality: Barcouço; Casal Comba; Luso; Pampilhosa; Vacariça; e Mealhada, Ventosa do Bairro e Antes.

The municipality of Mealhada is crossed by the main highway A1, by the national road IC2 and by a municipal road network that extends to all the parishes. The municipality is also crossed by the railroad lines of Norte and Beira Alta, constituting the station of Pampilhosa - a railway node with a significant importance.

As a rural municipality, Mealhada Municipality relies on the food cluster (from vineyards to meat processing activities due to the famed Bairrada and Mealhada piglets) and the tourism cluster with the great reputation of the "Luso" and "Bussaco" brands.

In relation to industrial development, Mealhada Municipality benefits from four geographically distinct zones for the retention of new companies in the Municipality, with excellent conditions and access routes for efficient and sustainable transportation mobility.

Characterized of first class, the city of Mealhada accompanies the small river Cértima from the source, in the Bussaco mountain range, constituting its hydrographic basin in the most productive agricultural fabric of the territory. On the slopes, beaten by the sun and dominated by the neighborhoods of Bairradine, vineyards, berry, the most planted grapes maria gomes, with a traditional Excellency of the creation of wine from the Demarcated Region. 

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Tourism

With a very strong tourist product based on the Hot springs of Luso, Bussaco National Forest and unique local gastronomy, the municipality currently has several hotel units that offer more than 1000 beds to tourists and around 50 restaurants specialized in piglets.

Tourism has been a great bet of the Mealhada City Council, with the project of the application of the National Forest of Bussaco to be included on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and with the gastronomic project "Water, Bread, Wine and Piglet - The 4 Wonders on the Mealhada's Table", which seeks to promote the quality of the four gastronomic products of excellence. The municipality has also joined efforts to boost tourism in the sphere of health, beauty and tourism wellness services in Luso.