- The Cathedral
The Old Cathedral - Sé Velha de Coimbra - is considered as the most beautiful Romanesque style building in Portugal. This cathedral was built in 1162. It looks like a fortress and has a rather simple facade created by two French architects. The North portal dates back to the 16th century. But it is in ruins. The choir has a polychromatic wooden altarpiece from the end of the 15th century, which is in a rather flamboyant Gothic style and was created by two Flemish men. The convent was built at the end of the 13th century and restored in the 18th century.
In 1772, after the expulsion of the Jesuits, the bishopric seat was transferred from the old medieval church to the mannerist jesuit college church, thereafter called the New Cathedral - Sé Nova de Coimbra. Inside there is only one nave with a stone chapel, in the choir there is a gold-covered wooden altarpiece and in the church you will also find exotic17th century wooden stalls from the former cathedral, as well as gold-coloured wooden altarpieces, chapels with paintings and sculptures.
- Mosteiro de Santa Cruz
This monastic house dedicated to the order of St Augustine was built outside the city walls in 1131 under the first king of Portugal D.Afonso Henriques, but nothing remains of the original Romanesque monastery. It was completely restored in the 16th century. and the most respected architects, sculptors and painters worked there, such as Diogo de Castilho, Nicolau Chanterene and Jean of Rouen. The big arch in front of the gate is from the 18th century. The manueline vault is supported by twined columns and the walls are covered with azulejos which represent the life of Saint Augustine and evoke other religious subjects. In the church, there is also the organ, a Nicolau Chanterene Renaissance pulpit, and in the choir, the tombs of the first two kings of Portugal, D.Afonso Henriques and his son D.Sancho I. In the gallery there are wooden stalls sculptured and gilded, from the 16th century. The vestry dates back to the 17th century and there are very beautiful paintings there. The Chapter Room is in manueline style as is the monastery, decorated with azulejos attributed to Chanterene. This monastery was one of the most important in Portugal, very rich and influent in the cultural, economic and political fields.
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Sé Velha de Coimbra |
Mosteiro de Santa Cruz |
- Santa Clara Convents
The first Santa Clara convent was created on the left bank of Mondego in 1286 but was quickly ruined by the river. It was abandoned in 1677 and recently restored. The convent had been chosen by the Holy Queen as her primary residence and it is said to have received Inês de Castro's body before its transfer to Alcobaça. A new convent was built on the hill in 1649 to replace the former one and in 1677 the nuns arrived there and had Queen Sainte Isabel's body transfered. The Queen's silver shrine dates back to 1612 and is placed in the choir of the church with a beautiful statue of the saint made by a modern sculptor. In the church there is also gold-covered wood and below, behind fence railings there is the queen's first tomb made out of richly decorated local stone. The convent is now partly occupied by the army.
- Celas Monastery
Gothic style from the 13th century. The restoration works in the 16th and 18th centuries altered the original layout, except for the Church, of circular shape, the Choir, the Chapterhouse and the Cloister.
- Igreja S. Salvador is one of the older towns but restored in the18th century.
- Igreja de Santiago dates back to the 12th century. Its restored façade overlooks the busy square of Praça do Comércio. Whilst this church was consecrated in 1206, it is said that Fernando I, the King of León, founded a church here in the 11th century after defeating the Moors and recapturing Coimbra. The façade is considered one of Portugal's finest examples of Romanesque architecture. In contrast to the somewhat plain façade, the interior, redesigned in the 16th century when a Gothic side chapel was added and again in the 18th century, has a Rococo gilded altarpiece.
- Portugal dos Pequeninos
Children will like to visit the Portugal dos Pequeninos ("Portugal for the Little Ones"), a park with child-sized models of typical Portuguese houses, mansions, temples and palaces. Tnere are replicas of the most important monuments of Portugal and ethnographical representations of the countries that were a part of the former Portuguese empire.
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Sta Clara-a-Velha |
Criptoportico |
-The Roman Ruins
:From the Roman city Aeminium; all that is left is the Cryptoportico,
an underground gallery of arched corridors built to support the Roman Forum of the city. During the Middle Ages, the Bishop's Palace of the city was built over the forum, and the cryptoportico is now located under the palace, now turned into the Machado de Castro Museum.
The cryptoportico can be visited through the museum. The museum was inaugurated in 1913. It exhibits a large collection of Roman sculptures, ceramics, paintings, silver and sacred art. It is one of the most important museums in Portugal.
When leaving this town some think of the Fado song that says "Coimbra tem mais encanto na hora da despedida..." (Coimbra is more beautiful when leaving).
