The construction works for the new municipal market of Viana do Castelo will resume tomorrow, September 1st, after the conclusion of archaeological excavations at the former Coutinho building site. From that date, the major works of the project will resume.
The archaeological excavations revealed non-religious structures from the former São Bento Convent, founded in the 16th century, including dormitories, infirmaries, and technical areas. The Municipal Council is preparing a project to integrate these findings into the future Archaeology Hub of Viana do Castelo, to be implemented in the Business Zone of Praia Norte.
In the late 19th century, in 1891, after the extinction of religious orders, the municipality demolished the non-religious structures of the convent to build the first municipal market, the Mercado das Torres. The church and cloisters of the convent were preserved, and the Mayor, Luís Nobre, intends to nominate these spaces as a Monument of Public Interest, developing them for religious, tourist, and cultural use.
The new municipal market will have a footprint of 4,971.11 square meters and a gross construction area of 8,570.03 square meters, distributed over three floors. The project includes 56 stalls, 28 commercial and service spaces, and 91 underground parking spaces. The work, budgeted at 13.376 million euros, is being carried out by the company Arlo S.A. following an international public tender.
