In the Middle Ages, Avilés was an important port town for salt trade. In 1085, King Alfonso VI granted Avilés a fuero, or set of privileges and rights. The town's coat of arms depicts how Christians seized Seville using ships with saws to break Moorish chains and bridges during the city's protection. Rui Pérez, the man who devised using saws on the ships, was from Avilés. In the 1950s, the steel company Arcelor (formerly Ensidesa) was founded and was very important to Avilés, causing population to quadruple in 20 years as people moved there for work.

1. In the Middle Ages, Avilés was an important port town because of the salt trade. A BIT OF HISTORY In 1085, Alfonso the 6th granted a fuero to the town. A fuero is a document which grants privileges and rights to a town. This is Avilés coat of arms. It shows how the Christians seized Sevilla. The ship had saws to break the chains and the bridges which the Moorish made to protect the city. The man who had the idea of putting the saws in the ship, Rui Pérez, was from Avilés.

2. This is Arcelor. It’s a steel company. When it was founded, in the 50s, it was called Ensidesa. Ensidesa was very important in the History of the town. Many people from all over Spain came to Avilés to work in Ensidesa. The town multiplied its population by four in only 20 years.