[4] This presence continued through the Chalcolithic period, marked by the construction of barrows, and the Bronze Age, as demonstrated by the settlement at Alto da Vela in Gulpilhares.

[4] Under Roman rule, the area, known as Cale, gained strategic importance due to its location near the mouth of the Douro River and the road connecting Olisipo (Lisbon) and Bracara Augusta (Braga).

[6] During this time, most of the population likely resided south of the Douro River, with a smaller settlement on the northern bank around a deep-water port in what is now Porto's Ribeira neighbourhood.

Christianity became firmly established in the area during this period, particularly after the arrival of Martin of Braga in 550, as evidenced by paleochristian remains found in the castles of Gaia and Crestuma.

[citation needed] Following the Christian reconquest of the Douro's southern bank after 1035, semi-abandoned fertile lands were resettled by colonists from the north, who were drawn by favorable feudal contracts.

The Leonese County of Portucale (Condado Portucalense), centered on this region, would eventually expand and gain independence, forming the Kingdom of Portugal.

[4] In 1255, King Afonso III granted a royal charter (foral) to the settlement at the Castle of Gaia, hoping to promote the area as an harbour for cargo entering the river.

Later, in 1288, King Denis and Queen Elizabeth issued a charter for the nearby lower settlement, known as Burgo Velho do Porto, renaming it Vila Nova de Rey, with the intent of concentrating the wine trade Gaia.

[6] In 1518, King Manuel I issued a new foral, reaffirming the administrative structure of Vila Nova de Gaia while codifying its municipal privileges and duties.

[4] Vila Nova de Gaia served as a hub for sailors and merchants involved in Atlantic trade routes and connections with Brazil and North America.

Some historians argue that famed explorer Ferdinand Magellan may have been born in Gaia, alongside navigator Nuno da Silva [pt], who played a role in Francis Drake's circumnavigation of the globe.

This period of foreign dominance set the stage for the Liberal Revolution of 1820, organized in part within Gaia's wine cellars and erupting in neighboring Porto.

[4][6] The 19th century brought significant development, with the emergence of the ceramics, cooperage, textiles, metalworking, and vehicle construction industries and the continuation of traditional activities of shipbuilding and milling.

Cultural associations emerged such as business, sports, and musical clubs, as well as local chapters of political parties, syndicates and cooperatives.

[9] Vila Nova de Gaia is located on the southern bank at the mouth of the Douro River, directly across from the municipalities of Porto and Gondomar.

In the west, the municipality extends towards the Atlantic Ocean, while in the east it includes the valleys of the Febros and Uíma [pt] rivers, tributaries of the Douro, by the modest elevations of Serra de Negrelos and Monte Murado.

[11] The coat of arms consists of a grey crest with two golden-yellow bunches of grapes on the bottom with a black castle over the water, and with a person blowing the horn.

The flag features the coat of arms on a field of eight wedges (gyronny) of alternating dark yellow and black, beginning with the north-northeast octant.

[27][28] Solar dos Condes de Resende is a former manorial property which is now the headquarter of the Municipal House of Culture located in the village of Negrelos.

In the 16th century, the property belonged to Tomé da Costa, a nobleman from Vila Nova de Gaia who served for the Kingdom during the period of the Philippine dynasty.

[32] The tourist oriented Teleférico de Gaia connects the bank of Douro river with the upper deck of the Dom Luís I Bridge.