The municipality of Aveiro has embarked on an ambitious and multi-year project to transform the city into a dazzling Christmas spectacle, a festive endeavor set to continue until 2025. The winning proposal, crafted by Empresa Carvalho Iluminações from Viseu, encapsulates a concept deeply rooted in Aveiro’s rich cultural heritage, sustainability, innovation, and technology.
As night falls, the streets of Aveiro come alive with a mesmerizing display of Art Nouveau-inspired Christmas decorations. The intricately designed Moliceiros adorned with Art Nouveau motifs traverse the city, featuring elements from the Ria such as algae, fish, and crustaceans. These motifs are seamlessly blended with heartfelt wishes for Happy Holidays, paying homage to the Art Nouveau style found in the local museum.
Strolling along the Central Canal, one is captivated by Art Nouveau-inspired motifs, characterized by curvilinear movements, nods to nature, and the incorporation of fauna and flora elements, creating an ambiance of harmony and beauty.
A standout feature on Avenida Dr. Lourenço Peixinho is the remarkable 800-meter ceiling of lights, symbolizing the starry sky that blankets Aveiro. Meanwhile, in the Beira-Mar neighborhood, the decorations pay tribute to the city’s fishermen, with hues of blue representing the sea and the yellow mirroring the stars, beautifully evoking the fusion of sea and sky in the fishermen’s abode.
The adjacent streets to Avenida Dr. Lourenço Peixinho host an inverted evocation of moliceiros, marnotos, and the poles that guide them through the canals and Ria, creating a dynamic and enchanting scene.
Praça Marquês de Pombal features a frame inspired by a local ceramic piece from the São Roque factory, exhibited at the City Museum. Enlarged and adorned with Art Nouveau-inspired motifs, this installation pays homage to the city’s artistic legacy.
The inspiration for decorations on Rua Direita and Rua Belém do Pará was drawn from a sidewalk designed by Jorge Pinheiro. Animated by Christmas, circles projected onto the streets echo the captivating patterns of the original artwork.
At the Museum of Aveiro/Santa Joana and Praça da República, nativity scenes take center stage, emphasizing the motifs of an Art Nouveau Christmas, while the green area between the Cathedral and the Hospital Rotunda highlights the animals depicted in Aveiro’s Art Nouveau facades.
Adding an extra layer of festive charm, pedestrian bridges spanning the City Canals and the centers of each Parish and Union of Parishes within the Municipality of Aveiro have been adorned with Christmas trees. This communal effort embodies a sense of unity, symbolizing the collective spirit that breathes life into Aveiro during the holiday season.
“In this edition, the pedestrian bridges that cross the City Canals were also included, as well as all the centers of each of the Parishes and Unions of Parishes of the Municipality of Aveiro, which, with its Christmas tree, this inseparable symbol of the Christmas festivities, come together in a logic of communion of each of the parts that add up and give life to the whole that is Aveiro,” explains a note from the municipality.
You can visit the treasures of art nouveau in Aveiro and Porto with our private tours. More info HERE.
This is a nice video to see what is on display and plan for next year Christmas trip:
