The maritime movement triggered the birth of small villages which quickly expanded, and in March 1771, these became the town known as Figueira da Foz do Mondego. The commercial and industrial development in the region was so dynamic that in September 1882, it became a city with the name, Figueira da Foz.
On 2 nd December 1926, the first legal document establishing a national port policy was published. Law-Decree No 12 757 establishes port law and it is also the first legislative measure taken by the Historic Government of the Port of Figueira da Foz. The first report of the use of the Port of Figueira da Foz dates back to 1166. It is cited in the text of a donation by D. Afonso Henriques to the Monastery of Santa Cruz of Coimbra and it has been deduced from this text that, at the time, there was still no village with the name of Figueira, It only refers to “the mouth of the Mondego, through which ships entered, whose tolls and additional rights were granted by El-Rei to Santa Cruz as alms”. Already at that time it was the port of Figueira da Foz which was sought by ships that entered the Mondego, reaching the vicinity of Santa Olaia, or so legend says.
From the legislative review of port law, Law-Decree No 14 718 of 8 th December 1927 was established. It is known as the organic law of the autonomous joints of ports, which gave rise to the Autonomous Board of the Port of Figueira da Foz. On 18 th February 1950, the Statute of the Autonomous Boards of Ports is published, establishing them as legal entities with administrative and financial autonomy, under the supervision of the Central Board of Ports.
On 18 th February 1950, the Statute of the Autonomous Boards of Ports is published, establishing them as legal entities with administrative and financial autonomy, under the supervision of the Central Board of Ports.
Through the publication of Law-Decree No 334/98 of 3 rd November, the Port Institutes of the North, Centre and South were created to manage the economic activity of the integrated ports in their areas of jurisdiction and, simultaneously, ensure the exercise of the powers of the port authority. The creation of the Port Institute of the Centre results from the merger of the Autonomous Board of the Port of Figueira da Foz and the Autonomous Board of the Ports of the Centre.
This merger was temporary, extinguished by decision of the National Assembly No 15/99 of 3 rd March. The Port Institute of the Centre is finally re-established with the publication of Law-Decree No 243/99 of 28 th June.
With the publication of Law-Decree No 257/02 of 22 nd November 2002, the Port and Maritime Transport Institute (IPTM) is created. It is a public institute and legal entity, with administrative and financial autonomy and its own assets, resulting from the merger of the Maritime-Port Institute (IMP), the Port Institute of the North (IPN), the Port Institute of the Centre (IPC), the Port Institute of the South (IPS) and the Navigational Institute of the Douro (IND). The structure of the new Institute fostered the autonomy of local management, with the institutionalisation of a chief executive officer responsible for the activities of each of the delegations.
The Instituto Portuário e dos Transportes Marítimos, I. P. (IPTM, I.P.) - Port and Maritime Transport Institute, considered a Public Institute by Law-Decree No 146/2007 of 27 th April, advocates the institutional restructuring of the maritime-port sector, with the objective of optimising existing infrastructures and promoting the competitiveness of national ports.
Through Law-Decree No 210/2008 of 3 rd November, the Administração do Porto da Figueira da Foz, S.A. is established, in the form of a limited liability company with exclusively public capital, abbreviated as APFF, SA, with capital fully owned by APA - Administração do Porto de Aveiro, S.A
