The monument was vandalized early Thursday morning with offensive messages targeting the mayor, Ribau Esteves, according to a statement from the city council.
In the statement, the council strongly condemns the acts of vandalism, describing them as unacceptable and a “gratuitous and cowardly” attack on the city’s public and symbolic heritage.
The municipality also reported ongoing efforts to clean and restore the monument, a task being conducted by the urban services team to ensure the monument is returned to its original condition.
The statement further calls for the civic and legal accountability of those responsible, emphasizing that such actions are an assault on the collective identity and cannot be tolerated.
The Monument Evocativo da Muralha de Aveiro abstractly represents the tower that once hosted the Porta do Sol, one of the entrances to the fortified village of Aveiro—a symbol that remains recognized today. The site currently provides access to the city’s most central area.
This project, developed from existing information about Porta do Sol and the wall, consists of three pieces arranged to mark the old wall’s outline. The main piece, measuring 10 meters, is located at the roundabout near the Aveiro Cathedral, while the other pieces, measuring 1.60 and 1.20 meters, are placed respectively at the central gardens of Avenida Santa Joana, in front of the Aveiro Museum, and Avenida 5 de Outubro, flanking both the cathedral and the Aveiro Santa Joana Museum.
