Arouca, Aveiro, Portugal Genealogy

This is a historical and genealogical guide to the municipality of Arouca.

History

 * The territory that became Arouca was settled around the Roman occupation.
 * In 1834 Arouca was formed.
 * Other municipalities that became part of Arouca in the 19th and 20th centuries were Vila Meã do Burgo, Alvarenga, Fermêdo, Santa Cruz de Alvarenga, Canelas, Janarde, Espiunca, and Covêlo de Paivó.
 * Arouca has 16 civil parishes.
 * The population of Arouca is roughly 22,400 people.

Online Records
After 100 years, all civil registration records are sent to the municipality's district office.

To view online civil registration records, visit Aveiro Civil Registration.

Contact a Civil Registration Office
The following is a list of civil registration offices within the municipality.

Conservatória dos Registos Civil e Predial R. Dr. Gil Costa 4540-134 Arouca PORTUGAL Phone: 256944138 Email: [mailto:crcpcom.arouca@dgrn.mj.pt crcpcom.arouca@dgrn.mj.pt]

Communicate your request in Portuguese whenever possible. For writing a letter or email in Portuguese, use the translated questions and phrases in this Portuguese Letter-writing Guide.

Online Records
In 1910, the Portuguese government transferred all birth, marriage, and death records from all the country's parishes to the district offices. These records are now in either District or National archives. Many of these records have been digitized and can be viewed at the District Archive's website or on FamilySearch.

To view online records, visit Aveiro Church Records.

Contact a Parish
If you are seeking church records created more recently than 1910, it is possible to obtain them by writing to the parish where the record was created. Writing to a parish is not always a reliable way to obtain information, because officials may or may not respond.

Conferência Episcopal Portuguesa lists websites for the 20 Dioceses of Portugal. Once on the Diocesan website, use the listing of parishes (paróquias) to locate contact information for the parish in question.

Communicate your request in Portuguese whenever possible. For writing a letter or email in Portuguese, use the translated questions and phrases in this Portuguese Letter-writing Guide.

Cemeteries
Cemeteries did not become popular in Portugal until the late nineteenth century. Prior to this, individuals were buried in their parish church cemetery, and their bones were later removed to an unmarked burial place.

Mosterio de Arouca Arouca, Arouca Municipality, Aveiro PORTUGAL Website: FindAGrave

Family History Centers
Sao Joao Da Madeira Portugal Family History Center Rua Cristovao Colombo 736 ARRIFANA 3700-462 PORTUGAL Email: [mailto:pt_saoJoaodaMadeira@familyhistorymail.org pt_saoJoaodaMadeira@familyhistorymail.org] Website: Sao Joao Da Madeira Portugal Family History Center