| The town only exists since 1773. Marquês de Pombal was responsible for the planning and construction of Vila Real de Santo António. He completed his task in less than two years!! His design for Vila Real de S.A. features a main square (Praça Marquês de Pombal) in the middle of which stands a white obelisk. All the important buildings are located there, the Church, the Town Hall, and the former customs building. From this square, roads go in all directions. They run at right angles to each other, much like a checkerboard. Everything in the town is rectangular, rigid and build with functionality in mind.
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