The ancestral origins of this coastal city date back to the Castro de S. João Baptista, where the Monastery of Santa Clara was founded in 1318, a monument that is one of the ex libris of Vila do Conde. The visit of D. Manuel to Vila do Conde, on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, in 1502, was very significant for this locality, as it gave the necessary impetus for the construction of the Igreja Maior, the Praza Nova, and the Pazos do Concello. During the 16th century, Vila do Conde reached its commercial and maritime peak with shipbuilding, closely linked to the Discoveries, a tradition that endures to this day. The sea has always influenced the life of the population of this place, even inspiring the motifs of the famous bobbin lace, which has a centuries-old tradition.