| COIMBRA |
Birthplace of six kings and the seat
of Portugal's first university, reputedly the second-oldest
in the world, Coimbra's tradition runs deep, with black-caped
students swarming the town during term time. Occupied by the
Moors, the city was captured by the Christians in 1064, becoming
the capital of the country under the first Portuguese dynasty.
The capital was transferred to Lisbon in the 13th century. After
1567 it was one of three seats (with Lisbon and Évora)
of the Inquisition in Portugal, who were particularly active
here in the 1620s.
What to see. Coimbra's ancient cathedral is one of the
finest examples of Romanesque architecture in Portugal. Built
in the 12th century on the site of a Moorish mosque, it boasts
a fine Flemish carved retable above the high altar and a Cistercian
cloister containing an impressive 16th-century limestone relief
of the Holy Family. Founded in 1131, the church and monastery
of Santa Cruz are rich examples of the city's own early 16th
century school of sculpture. The first two kings of Portugal,
Afonso Henriques and Sancho I, were re-interred in the chancel
in 1520. Housing an interesting collection of paintings, sculpture
and religious objects, the Macahdo de Castro Museum is located
in a charming Renaissance building, the former Bishop's Palace,
with a lovely view of the roofs and towers of Coimbra. Once
the royal palace of the Alcaçovas, Coimbra University
was founded in 1307 by King Dinis. Its library is widely considered
to have the loveliest interior in Portugal, and one of the richest
book collections in the world.
Nearby. On the other side of the Mondego River, the Gothic
ruins of the Old Convent of Santa Clara are where the holy queen,
Saint Isabel, spent her life after the death of her husband,
King Denis, in 1325. The excavated site of Conimbriga 14 km
south of the city shows evidence of Roman habitation as early
as the 2nd century BC. But it was under Augustus, from about
25 BC, that Conimbriga became a substantial town; its fascinating
excavated remains include villas, tessellated pavements, walls
and bathss. |
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| © 2007 Maisturismo |
