The history of Setúbal runs from Neolithic settlement and the Roman fish-salting town of Cetóbriga at the mouth of the Sado to a medieval town of the Order of Santiago, a port and canning city, and the capital of its district since 1926.

This page lists the main dates in the history of Setúbal and the people born in the city.

Timeline of Setúbal

Neolithic: people settle in the territory of the present municipality, where remains from the Neolithic onwards have been found.
1st to 4th centuries: under Roman rule, Cetóbriga grows as an urban and industrial centre of fish salting on both banks of the Sado, including Tróia.
After the Roman period: the settlement is gradually abandoned as sand advances, while Palmela, Alcácer do Sal and Azeitão grow under Muslim rule.
13th century: after the conquest of Palmela, the Order of Santiago resettles Setúbal, first on the hill of Santa Maria and then in the low town towards Tróino.
March 1249: Paio Peres Correia, Master of the Order of Santiago, grants Setúbal its first charter.
1343: following a letter of King Afonso IV, the boundaries of Setúbal are set and the first town walls are built.
1490: Justa Rodrigues Pereira founds the Convent of Jesus.
5 September 1494: King João II ratifies the Treaty of Tordesillas in Setúbal.
1514: King Manuel I grants Setúbal a new charter, which records the importance of salt and salted sardines.
1525: Setúbal receives the title of Notable Town.
1582: work begins on the Fortress of São Filipe.
1755: the Lisbon earthquake damages the town and the Convent of Jesus.
19 April 1860: Setúbal is raised to the status of a city.
1861: the railway between Setúbal and Barreiro opens.
1863: gas street lighting begins in the city.
22 December 1926: the district of Setúbal is created, with the city as its capital.
1975: Setúbal becomes the seat of a Catholic diocese.
1976 and 1980: the Arrábida Natural Park and the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve are created.

People from Setúbal

Luísa Todi (1753 to 1833): an opera singer born in Setúbal, who performed in the courts and opera houses of Europe. The main avenue of the city carries her name.
Manuel Maria Barbosa du Bocage (1765 to 1805): a poet born in Setúbal, whose statue stands in Praça de Bocage.
José Mourinho: a football manager born in Setúbal in 1963.