According to available records, Oliveira do Bairro appeared before the formation of Portugal. There are indications of Celts and pre-Celts in the parish of Mamarrosa. While parishes like Palhaça and Bustos 1 have signs of Roman presence.

There is a document dated 922 d.c. (tenth century) which refers to the donation of land to the Monastery of Crestuma and where the land is said to be "Ulveira" (Oliveira). In a document dated 957, some villages of the municipality, such as "Barriolo", "Aqualada" or "Sancta Eolália" are mentioned. However, it was only granted Charter to Oliveira do Bairro (become a town) on April 6, 1514, by King Manuel I. The grantees were the Counts of Miranda do Corvo and Marquises of Arronches and at a later stage, the Dukes of Lafões. In the sixteenth century Oliveira do Bairro had settlements that still exist today, such as Póvoa do Cercal and Póvoa do Repolão.

The name "Oliveira" comes from several centuries ago as a tribute to the culture of the olive trees and olive oil production, but "do Bairro” was added much later. It comes from the word "clay" which evolved into "barro" as it comes from the Latin root "barrium". Thus, "the District" eventually becomes determinative of the type of ground on which the olive trees get along.

In 1836 the county “Oliveira do Bairro “ is formed and due to its great location, was highly coveted by its neighbours “Águeda “ and “Anadia”, which led to its

extinction in 1895 and its annexation by the municipalities mentioned. However, this annexation was short-lived - in 1898 the municipality of Oliveira do Bairro was restored, with the exception of the parish of Bustos which was only attached to Oliveira do Bairro in 1919. The Town Hall building is completed in 1874 and most public services was centred there. Oliveira do Bairro was promoted to city on August 26, 2003 and its municipal holiday is on Ascension Day.

2 Economically, Oliveira do Bairro has features connected to traditional agriculture and with an industry where “Barreiros” – clay deposits are quite important. The most prestigious agricultural activity in the county is wine, whence comes the famous “Bairrada“ wines. However, a significant part of the population is still engaged in agriculture and Kiwis plantation has become an important product of the region in recent times. Also areas such as ceramics and metal-mechanics have grown in the municipality over the last three decades.

The municipality of Oliveira do Bairro, is part of the district of Aveiro and is located in the Central Region (of Portugal. It is bordered to the northwest and northeast by Aveiro, southeast and west by Anadia and south by Coimbra. There are some nice beaches nearby where surfing has also become popular. The architectural heritage is rich and varied and it’s part of the Mother church (XVII century), the Chapel of the Afflicted (XIX century), dedicated to Our Lady and some small museums located in Palhaça and Oiã. The buildings of the railway station

and the public library are also part of this architectural heritage.

In the county there are several festivities and religious events, which are dedicated to celebrating patron saints birthdays or death. There are also a lot of fairs and markets.

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