Setúbal

Setúbal, city and concelho (municipality), southwestern Portugal. It is located southeast of Lisbon, on the northern shore of the deep estuary formed by the Sado, Marateca, and São Martinho rivers.

The city served as a royal residence during the reign of King John II (1481–95). With the exception of the church of the former Monastery of Jesus (begun 1490) and the 16th-century Castelo de São Filipe, the older buildings of Setúbal were almost totally destroyed in the catastrophic Lisbon earthquake of 1755. In the sand hills of the left bank of the estuary are the ruins of the Roman town of Cetobriga, which was destroyed by tidal wave in 412 ce.

The city and surrounding areas have been marked by extensive industrial growth since the late 20th century. Automobile manufacture has become an important part of the local economy. Other industries include glassware, chemicals, electronic and electrical equipment, and pharmaceuticals. As with Portugal’s other major ports, Setúbal’s port has received a major overhaul. Major road building in the 1990s radically improved links between Lisbon and Setúbal, to the south to Faro, and to the east with Spain. Pop. (2001) city, 89,303; mun., 113,934; (2011 est.) city, 95,000; (2011) mun., 121,185.