Thursday, September 29, 2016

090616 Coimbra

BECAUSE WE STAYED AN EXTRA DAY IN COIMBRA, THIS INTRODUCTION TO THE CITY IS REPEATED HERE, FOR ANY WHO JOINED THE BLOG AT THIS POINT.
Coimbra is a city (pop 100,000) and municipality (pop. 160,000). It is the fourth largest city in Portugal (after Lisbon, Porto, and Braga). About 460,000 people live the Região de Coimbra (Region of Coimbra), which comprises 19 municipalities.
The origin of the name Coimbra is unclear. Some believe it derives from Conímbríga (the name of a former castle-town farther south in the region of Coimbra), the first part of which is possibly named after the Conii (also known as Cynetes, one of the pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula), and the second part from Celtic or Gaulish briga, meaning hill. In Old Portuguese, the spelling was Coymbra. The name Coimbra is attributed to the Visigothic period (569-589) and to the coming of the bishop of Conímbriga to the Roman town of Aeminium, changing the name. Adjectival forms related to Coimbra include coimbrense, conimbricense, and coimbrão.
Coimbra was the original capital of Portugal from 1139 to 1255; the country was established when Lisbon was still held by the Moors. However, it is better known for its famous university founded in 1290, which crowns the hill and is the oldest academic institution in the Portuguese-speaking world. Coimbra’s “Old Town” (called Cidade Alta or Upper Town) was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2013. Down by the Mondego River is the Cidade Baixa (lower town, or downtown), the commercial heart of the city, with lively cafes, restaurants, pastry shops, and other shops.
Coimbra is one of Portugal’s oldest cities; it was already an important municipality in Roman times, when it was called Aeminium (the name is related to the place occupied by the town, a meneiu, i.e., the top of a hill). The city wall, originally built in the late Roman period, was nearly 2 km long and had 5 gates and a considerable number of towers. Administratively, it fell under the influence of the larger Roman villa of Conímbriga until the latter was sacked by the Sueves (Swabians) and Visigoths between 569 and 589 and was abandoned. Then Coimbra became the seat of the diocese. Although Conímbriga had been administratively important, Aeminium affirmed its position by being situated at the confluence of north-south traffic that connected the Roman Bracara Augusta (Braga) and Olisipo (Lisbon). Its river access also provided a route between the coast and the interior. The move of the settlement and bishopric of Conímbriga to Aeminium resulted in the name change to Conímbriga, evolving later to Colimbria and eventually to Coimbra.
Around the 8th century, the Visigoths established the County of Coimbra, with its seat in Emínio (the Visigothic name for Coimbra). The county persisted until the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula from the south, during which Coimbra was captured in 714. Although not a large city, in the general context of the Muslim-occupied Al-Andalus, Coimbra was the largest settlement north of the River Tagus (Rio Tejo). From the Muslim period came the name given to the city within the walls (the Almedina) and outside the walls (the Arrabalde). The Christian Reconquista forces the Muslims to abandon the region temporarily, but they retook the castle in 987-1064 and again in 1116. During the Reconquest, Dom Afonso Henriques (who would become Afonso I, the first King of Portugal) took up residence in Coimbra and set up a network of defensive castles to the south and west, including those of Rabaçal and Ansião. Afonso Henriques is buried in the Santa Cruz Monastery. Coimbra soon became famous for its University, founded in the 13th century, which is the oldest in Portugal and one of the oldest in Europe.
Already in the Middle Ages, Colimbra was divided into an upper city (Cidade Alta or Almedina), where the aristocracy and clergy lived, and the merchant, artisan, an labor centers in the lower city (Cidade Baixa or Arrabalde) by the Mondego River, in addition to the old and new Jewish quarters. The city was surrounded by a fortified wall, of which some remnants are still visible. Meanwhile, on the periphery, the municipality began to grow.
The first half of the 19th century was a difficult period for Coimbra, when it was invaded by French troops during the Peninsular War. A force of 4,000 Portuguese militia recaptured the city in October 1810 and successfully held it against the retreating French army in March 1811. The city recovered in the second half of the 19th century.
In 1911, electric tramways were introduced to connect the old quarter with its expanding periphery. In 1940-1950, the residential area of the Alta de Coimbra was demolished to expand the University.

This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our Camino in 2016. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons) indicate that source in the caption.


We woke at 7:10 am, and Don had put Moleskin on a large blister on the ball of his right foot. At 8 am, we went to the breakfast buffet at Hotel Vila Galé, which was the best yet, including champagne-like sparkling wine. Don had quiche, brie, and local sheep cheese; cooked tomatoes, mushrooms, and scrambled eggs; orange juice; yogurt; and French toast.

We left the hotel at 9 am, going first to the nearby churches along Rúa da Sofia, which were unfortunately closed.

The first church we came to was the Igreja de Santa Justa.


‎Tuesday, ‎September ‎06, ‎2016, ‏‎9:36 AM - Coimbra: Igreja de Santa Justa - façade.

The Igreja de Santa Justa (Church of St. Justa), on Ladeira de Santa Justa, between Rúa da Sofia and Rúa da Figueira da Foz, is classified as a Monumento de Interesse Público (Monument of Public Interest). It is one of the most imposing and unknown churches in the city. It is usually closed, opening only for Sunday mass. The Mannerist façade is a good example of the transition from Renaissance to Baroque, dating back to the early 18th century.
Initially, there was a primitive Romanesque church and monastery founded in the 12th century. Located in the middle of the medieval pottery district, it was dedicated to Santa Justa, patron saint of potters. It was donated to the Order of Cluny by D. Maurício Burdino, a Benedictine monk from Cluny in France who became bishop of Coimbra between 1099 and 1109. D. Maurício intended it to serve as a retreat and hospice for French monks who arrived in the city. After the expulsion of the Cuniac monks, the monastery became collegiate and a parish church, donated by the Crown to the Canons Regrantes in 1152. In the 13th and 14th centuries, the church underwent several architectural reforms, but over the centuries was plagued by repeated flooding of the Rio Mondego. Finally, serious structural damage from flood waters in 1708 led to the decision to build another church on higher ground. Thus, construction of the new church began in 1710. The new church was consecrated in 1724, already influenced by the Baroque style. The façade is still Mannerist, a flat, three-story structure resembling an altarpiece and flanked by two bell towers. Abover the triangular pediments of the four windows of the middle story are niches with sculptures of San Francisco, Santa Rufina, Santa Justa, and a bishop.
In 1854, the parish of Santa Justa was extinguished an annexed to that of Santa Cruz. And 12 years later, it lost its collegiate status. In the first half of the 20th century, the poor state of conservation of the  church led tyo repair efforts. In 1943, the Bishop of Coimbra gave the building to the Capuchin friars, who remained there until 2008.

Continuing southeast on Rúa da Sofia, we passed the Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Graça, which was also closed, despite the fact that the official city map from the Turismo showed it as opening at 8:30.



‎Coimbra: Our Lady of Grace Church – façade (Por Manuelvbotelho - Obra do próprio, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56234077).

The Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Graça (Church of Our Lady of Grace), also known as Igreja da Graça (Church of Grace), was built in 1548-1555 as part of the Colégio da Graça (College of Grace) of the Ordem dos Eremitas Calçados de Santo Agostinho (Order of Hermits with Shoes of St. Augustine). The college was founded in 1543, and 6 years later it was incorporated into the University of Coimbra. With it, the architect Diogo de Castilho, who was also active in Tomar, established a model for the other colleges of the University in this period: a single vaulted nave with austere décor and intercommunicating side chapels, a high choir over the entrance, and cloisters inspired by the Castilho’s Claustro da Hospedaria of Tomar. The church is classified as a National Monument.
The main façade of the church, facing the southwest has three registers, of which the first rests on a platform accessed through a staircase. In the center, the portal is flanked by two Tuscan columns on which the architrave rests and on which there is a niche with the image of the Virgin and Child; on each side of the portal are two rectangular windows. The second register has a window in the center. The third register is topped with a triangular pediment, at the center of which is a stone coat of arms with royal emblems and an inscription alluding to the foundation of the college. To the left of the façade, there is a bell tower with an access door in the first register, a window in the second, and bells in the last one. The west façade, which forms the front of the college, does not coincide with the alignment of the church’s façade.
From 1828 to 1834, the College of Grace served as a hospital for absolutist troops during the civil war. Following the closure dictated by the extinction of religious orders in 1834, the whole complex was nationalized and incorporated into the National Treasury. In 1836 it housed a military barracks, a social assistance institution, and other public offices. In 1998, after the extinction of the Quartel da Graça (Grace Barracks), the premises were occupied by the Combatants’ League and by some social and administrative services of the Army. It was later returned to the University.

Farther down Rúa da Sofia, we came to the Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Carmo, also closed, despite the fact that the official city map from the Turismo showed it as opening at 9:30.



‏‎9:40 AM - Coimbra: Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – façade; one of the street signs to right of arch points right (southeast) to [Monastery of] Santa Cruz.

The Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Carmo (Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel) dates from 1597; it is part of the Colégio do Carmo (Carmo College) founded in 1542 and donated to the Carmelitas Descalços (Barefoot Carmelites). The college was built in two phases: in the first period, the novitiate was built by the architect Diogo de Castilho in 1548, and in the second period, the church and cloister were built between 1597 and 1600.
The church has a façade divided into three registers. The first has a portico with Doric pilasters and a staircase. Over a covered atrium is the main portal, crowned by a triangular pediment and flanked by two doors with straight frames. The second register, decorated in the lower part with a coat of arms and inscriptions referring to the construction in 1597, has a single frame window in the center flanked by two windows. The third register, divided from the rest by a frieze, has a pediment with three windows, the one in the center surmounted by a niche with the image of Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Our Lady of the Conception), flanked by two bell towers.
The interior of the church has a single nave, with a vaulted ceiling and 6 side chapels. The main altar, in the Manueline style, is from the end of the 16th century. The sacristy has a Deposition of Christ in the Tomb. The adjoining cloister, from 1600, is in a Renaissance style typical of 16th-century Coimbra. In the 19th century, the college building was given to its present occupants, the Third Order Carmelites, who began in 1846 to adapt the college building to serve as a hospital and in 1854 executed changes in the façade of the church. The cloister follows the model developed by Diogo de Castilho.
Then we went to the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz, which was open, but a mass was just starting. We would try to come back later.


‏‎9:49 AM - Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – façade.



‏‎9:49 AM - Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – main portal in façade.



‏‎9:51 AM - Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – interior, view from rear of nave, with vaulted ceiling, through triumphal arch, to organ at left and to main altar in apse (before mass).



‏‎9:52 AM - Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – organ on left side of nave (before mass).

Then we decided to go find Fado ao Central to make our reservations.

 It turned out that we had gone through the Porta da Barbicã and the Arco de Almedina on our way to Fado ao Central. We would pass through them again on our way down toward the New Cathedral.


‏‎10:02 AM - Coimbra: Porta da Barbicã, which we thought was Arco de Almedina.

In this most vulnerable section of the wall, between the Porta de Almedina and the (now disappeared) Porta de Belcouce, it was necessary to reinforce the defense by erecting a second walled belt, the Porta da Barbicã (Gate of the Barbican). (A barbican is a defensive tower or similar fortification at a gate or bridge leading to a town or castle.) This gate, with a pointed arch, typical of fortifications of the Manueline period (early 16th century), still survives today. It is often confused with the Arco de Almedina, which it actually precedes, since the Torre de Almedina is located behind it, further up the hill. It is called the Barbican Gate because it served to reinforce the entrance of the wall which dated back to the 11th century, guarding the Muslim city. It currently serves as a boundary between the civil parishes of Almedina and São Bartolomeu.


The historical marker sign beneath this gateway may actually have been for the “Port da Barbicã (Barbican Gate)” which photo at
http://www.waymarking.com/gallery/image.aspx?f=1&guid=6672191d-cddb-4fc7-9039-c7fd087ff2ff shows with text in Portuguese and English. English text: “Given that it was felt necessary to reinforce the defenses in the most vulnerable part of the city (between the gates of Almedina and Belcouce), a second line of defense, the Barbicã (‘barbican’), was created.
“The Gate, which is partially buried, forms a broken arch typical of the fortresses of the Manueline era and has survived until the present day.”


MT ‏‎10:11 AM - Coimbra: MT with Porta da Barbicã, which we thought was Arco de Almedina.


At the foot of the passage down through the Arco de Almedina and Porta da Barbicã, we encountered two young men in black capes, like University students, performing fado music, for donations, on the sidewalk of the busy Rua Ferreira Borges.


‏‎10:03 AM - Coimbra: fado musicians on street near Arco Almedina.



‏‎10:03 AM - Coimbra: fado musicians on street near Arco Almedina.



‏‎10:07 AM - Coimbra: Arco de Almedina – sign under the arch for “Porta e Torre de Almedina ou Porta de Cidade ou Porta do Arco (Almedina Gate and Tower – City Gate or Arch Gate)” with text in Portuguese and English. English text (edited per Portuguese):
“As its name would indicate, this [Portuguese: a porta de Almedina] was the main gate within the city walls [Portuguese: of the city within the walls]. Located in the lowest part of the walls, it was the busiest and most important point of access for both military and civil purposes. It was originally a gate between two turrets which were later joined by means of an arch, above which was built the fortified tower. Given the vulnerability to attack on this site, the Tower is probably one of the most impressive defensive towers found within the wall’s perimeters [Portuguese: in the perimeter of the wall].”
The bottom part of the sign has cut-outs representing the medieval wall.


The entrance into the ancient, upper town (once both a Jewish and a Moorish quarter) is through the Arco de Almedina (Arch of Almedina), a 12th-century gateway to the city, back by one of the city’s main shopping streets, Rua Ferreira Borges. It is still the main entrance to the High Quarter (Old City). It is the only remaining entrance gate to the original city of Coimbra and one of the few remaining examples of Moorish architecture in the city. During the Moorish occupation (711-1148) of what later became Portugal, the various cultures in Iberia coexisted peacefully, and even today many traces of Moorish culture can be found in buildings, street plans in cities, and the Portuguese language. During the Moorish occupation of the city, the walls stretched over 2 km and were a powerful defensive system, of which the Arco da Almedina was a part.
The Arco de Almedina actually consists of two arched entrances: one on the outside gate and a smaller one, called Arco de Almedina pequeno (little Arch of Almedina), on the inside.
The Porta de Almedina and Torre de Almedina are located in the freguesia (civil parish) of Almedina in the city and municipality of Coimbra. The gate is accessed from the barbican door on Rua Ferreira Borges, one of the main arteries of the Lower City. Set in the lower part of the medieval city wall, its construction can be traced back to 1064, but it was reformed and remodeled over the centuries. The gate was originally defended by two turrets that were later connected by a deep arch, above which was erected the fortified tower. Its current form may be the result of reform in the early 16th century, at the direction of King Manuel I. The interior of the tunnel arch is decorated by a frieze with low-reliefs of the Virgin and Child, flanked by two stone coats of arms of the ancient city of Coimbra. Until 1836, the gate had large doors plated with iron.


MT ‎‏‎10:14 AM - Coimbra: looking back down through Arco de Almedina (pequeno); beyond the arch is modern statue of woman in shape of fado guitar, near Fado ao Centro.

We arrived at Fado ao Centro shortly after their 10 am opening time and made our reservations for the 6 pm show (€10 each for fado show and Port wine). The young lady said to come back at 5:30 pm, when the line for first-come seating would form.


‏‎10:13 AM – Coimbra: Fado ao Centro – exterior with young lady who sold tickets and MT in doorway.



‏‎10:13 AM – Coimbra: Fado ao Centro – MT with young lady who sold tickets (closer up).



‏‎10:13 AM – Coimbra: Fado ao Centro – signs by door. Sign at top for “Fado de Coimbra” in Portuguese and English. English text:
“Some say that Fado from Coimbra was originated in the melodies imported by Brazilian students who, from 1860 onwards, came to Coimbra to study; others say that this form of song was brought here by students from Lisbon and that the university city made it sound different and gave it an individual flavour; yet others still connect its origin to the love songs and other tunes sung by the troubadours from Provence in the Middle Ages, which were brought to Portugal by the court of knights and minstrels who accompanied the weddings of princes and princesses. Whatever its origin, however, even those who do not speak Portuguese cannot help being overcome by the deep feelings inspired by the music’s melody.”
The sign below says: “Espectáculo ao Vivo/Live Performance 18h00 [6:00 pm] – Fado & Port Wine – Reserve o seu Lugar/Book your Seat” and gives phone numbers for booking.

In the small square (a wide spot on the stairs of Querba Costas) in front of Fado ao Central was a bronze statue of a woman, called “Tricana de Coimbra” (Tricana of Coimbra). We were told that this actually depicted a kind of woman, called Tricana, who sold water and cleaned for students.


‏‎10:15 AM – Coimbra: Don and MT with “Tricana de Coimbra” statue on stairs of Querba Costas.

The Tricana is a woman of Coimbra that has been a mythical and emblematic figure of the city since the end of the 19th century. The tricanas are present in much of Portuguese literature; many writers and poets have written about them. The tricanas also the subject of several coimbröes fados (songs of the Fado of Coimbra).


Coimbra: photo of Tricanas in 1913 (https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricana_de_Coimbra).

The tricana wore a black skirt, a small apron, a blouse, and a scarf over her head and has a shawl drawn over her shoulder. She always carried a clay pitcher or a can when she went to the Mondego River to fetch water.
The statue “A Tricana” (the Tricana), sculpted by the master Alves André in 2008, is located between the Arco de Almedina and the stairs of Querba Costas, in homage to the “woman of Coimbra.” It is one of the best known statues in Coimbra. The tricana is seated with an earthen pitcher she would use to take water from the Mondego to sell in the train station or at the doors of wealthy gentlemen. She is taking a well-deserved rest, with her shoes loose on the ground. Tricanas not only sold water but also supplied houses with bread, eggs, vegetables, flowers and served as maids or did laundry for the houses.


MT ‏‎10:21 AM – Coimbra: Don with “Tricana de Coimbra” statue on stairs of Querba Costas.



‏‎4:42 PM – Coimbra: “Tricana de Coimbra” statue on stairs of Querba Costas.


‏‎4:42 PM – Coimbra: bronze plaque on base of “Tricana de Coimbra” statue; text in Portuguese and English; English part:
“Sung by Poets.
Graceful, delicate, irradiating beauty and sympathy, although loving sometimes without correspondence
“The Tricana of Coimbra
“Tribute [Portuguese: Homage] of the Junta de Frequesia de Almedina [Council of the Civil Parish of Almedina]”
Last line, in Portuguese only, translates: “Inaugurated on 7 December 2008.”




MT ‏‎10:26 AM – Coimbra: stairs of Querba Costas.

Then we went to the Sé Velha (Old Cathedral), which was open, but they wanted €2.50 each admission. So we didn’t go in. However, we seem to have got carimbo stamps there.



Coimbra: carimbo stamp that seems to have picture of Old Cathedral, although the words are blurred on both our credencials.




‏‎10:20 AM – Coimbra: Old Cathedral – façade, with MT taking photo.

Close by the Arco de Almedina and Torre de Anto are the city’s two cathedrals—the Sé Velha de Coimbra (Old Cathedral of Coimbra) and the Sé Nova (New Cathedral).
Considered one of the best examples of Romanesque architecture in Portugal, the Sé Velha de Coimbra (Old Cathedral of Coimbra), also known as Igreja de Santa María (Church of St. Mary), is also one of the country’s best-preserved cathedrals. While other structures had to be greatly remodeled or renovated over time, especially after the Great Earthquake of 1755, this church has remained relatively intact. The fortress-like Old Cathedral was built in the second half of the 12th century, in the second phase of the Coimbra Romanesque style, and consecrated in 1184. Its construction at the instigation of King Afonso Henriques (Afonso I) was to mark his declaration of himself as the first king of Portugal, following his victory in the battle of Ourique in 1139 and his choice of Coimbra as his capital. Portugal’s second king, Sancho I was crowned here in 1185. The overall design shows signs of Islamic influence combined with the obvious Romanesque style, and there are also significant Gothic touches, such as the cloisters and the main altar. The building resembles a castle or fortress (with narrow window slits and crenelated roof), which was a popular style at the time of the Reconquest, when cathedrals were built to be part of the defense against the Moors. It is located on the Largo de Sé Velha (Square of the Old Cathedral) in the upper area of the city (Old City), among steep narrow streets and the University complex.
The footprint of the cathedral is a Latin cross with three naves, the middle one covered with a vault and an arcaded gallery on the second floor. The main altarpiece, in the flamboyant Gothic style, dates from around 1498; it depicts the birth of Christ and the Assumption. The Mannerist-style altarpiece in the Holy Sacrament chapel, surrounded by an elegant paneled cupola, dates from 1566. The Gothic cloisters, with their naturalistic capitals, were begun in 1218.
The grand main portal, added in the 16th century, juts out from the façade and shows particular Islamic influence. It is adorned with columned arches with successively smaller diameters, each delicately ornamented, and above the center of the door is a balcony, also adorned with columns.
A side door on the north side is known as the Porta Especiosa (Beautiful Door) thanks to its elegant Renaissance-style decoration, which contrasts with the otherwise somber exterior. Built in the 1530s, it sits a full three stories high.
Inside are a number of fine tombs, a large late-Gothic altar, and a Renaissance baptismal font. The main altarpiece, made of gilded and polychrome wood, was completed in 1503 and is still perfectly preserved after more than 500 years. The windows of the Gothic lantern at the crossing and the windows of the main façade are the primary sources of light. From the south aisles, a flight of steps leads up to the early-Gothic 13th-century cloister.


MT ‎‏‎10:28 AM – Coimbra: Old Cathedral – main portal on façade.



‏‎10:21 AM – Coimbra: Old Cathedral – north side and west façade.



‏‎10:43 AM – Coimbra: Old Cathedral – statue of John the Baptist on outside (mild telephoto 54 mm).



‏‎11:51 AM – Coimbra: Old Cathedral – Romanesque semicircular apse and cupola rising above the main body of the church.

We tried to find the Torre de Anto, but the narrow street was blocked by construction. Eventually we went around the construction work and saw the tower (which we thought didn’t look very medieval).


‏‎10:33 AM – Coimbra: Torre de Anto, with sign at left for Nucleo da Guitarra e do Fado de Coimbra (The Guitar and Fado Center of Coimbra).

The Torre de Anto (Anto Tower) was part of the ancient city walls and was known in medieval times as the Torre do Prior do Ameal (Tower of the Prior of Ameal). It is an old tower, part of the medieval city wall, approximately in the middle of the highest of its slopes, overlooking the Mondego River. Like other towers of the city wall, it lost its defensive function and was transformed into a living quarters in the first half of the 16th century. At that time, it was extensively altered but has changed little since then.
Its present name comes from the fact that the poet António Nobre (1867-1900) lived there when he was a student in the late 19th century. Since 2015, the Torre de Anto houses the Nucleo da Guitarra e do Fado de Coimbra (The Guitar and Fado Center of Coimbra).

On the way down to the New Cathedral, we passed a modern building that seemed to have archaeological excavations beneath it.


‏‎10:46 AM Coimbra: view through bars of (Roman?) ruins under modern building.

As we approached the New Cathedral, the Igreja de São João de Almedina was next to it.


‏‎10:48 AM – Coimbra: Igreja de São João de Almedina (at left) and New Cathedral (at right).

The Igreja de São João de Almedina (Church of St. John of Almedina) is part of the former Palácio Episcopal de Coimbra (Episcopal Palace of Coimbra, where the National Museum of Machado de Castro is now located). A church on this site dates back to the 11th century; (the earliest documentary reference to it dates from 1083, but it probably already existed in 1064, along with the neighboring Igreja de San Salvador mentioned in a document of that year. There were remodeling campaigns between 1128 and 1131, although the nature and extent of these is unknown. When the Episcopal Palace was adapted to serve as a museum in the 20th century, the partially preserved pre-Romanesque cloister of the church was unearthed, along with some vestiges of the Romanesque church known to have existed between 1192 and 1206. The construction of the church would have begun only when the new cathedral of the city (now known as the Old Cathedral) was already open to worship, that is, in the 1170s. In fact, while the cathedral remained closed, the Igreja de São João, an integral part of the bishop’s palace, hosted events that normally would have occurred in the cathedral. However, the Romanesque church was demolished when the church was completely rebuilt between 1684 and 1704), giving it its current features. When the Episcopal Palace became a museum, the church, which had been secularized, was used to display the museum’s collection of sacred art.

Then we arrived at the Sé Nova (New Cathedral).


‏‎10:51 AM – Coimbra: New Cathedral – façade.

The Sé Nova de Coimbra (New Cathedral of Coimbra) has a misleading name, since it was founded in 1598 by the Companhia de Jesus (Society of Jesus), commonly known as Jesuitas (Jesuits). Although work commenced in 1598, the church was not consecrated until 1640, and its slow construction continued until 1698. It is also known as the Catedral do Santissimo Nome de Jesus (Cathedral of the Most Holy Name of Jesus). That is because it was originally the Igreja do Colégio dos Jesuitas (Church of the Jesuit College), also known as Colégio des Onze Mil Virgens (College of the Eleven Thousand Virgins) or Colégio do Santissimo Nome de Jesus (College of the Most Holy Name of Jesus), established by Jesuit clerics who settled in Coimbra in 1541 and founded the college in 1543 for the formation of new members of the order. This was the first Jesuit college in the world. The church belonged to the Jesuits until they were expelled from Portugal in 1759. In 1772, the seat of the bishopric of Coimbra was transferred from the old Romanesque cathedral to the vacant, more spacious, and more modern Jesuit church.
The New Cathedral is located at the top of the hill near the University of Coimbra, in the Alta de Coimbra (upper town). It faces the Largo da Feira dos Estudantes (Square of the Marketplace of the Students), also known as Largo da Sé Nova (Square of the New Cathedral). Its architecture was influential throughout the Portuguese colonial world—such as the former Jesuit Igreja de Salvador (Church of the Savior, now the Catedral Basilica de Salvador) built in Brazil in the 17th century.
The façade shows two distinct phases in style of construction. The Baroque decoration of the upper part of the façade, finished in the early 18th century, contrasts with the lower part, which follows a rigid Mannerist style. The top part features large statues of Saints Peter and Paul. That part is topped by a pediment of countercurved lines, crowned by pinnacles and a cross in the center. The niches in the lower part of the façade hold statues of four Jesuit saints (St. Ignatius, St. Aloysius Gonzaga, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Francis of Borgia). The church has two bell towers located just behind the façade, and a dome over the crossing.
The exuberance of the exterior is equaled by the opulence of the interior. Inside are Baroque altars, including the majestic 17th-century main altar of gold filigree, and a 17th-century organ. The interior, with a single nave, is in the shape of a Latin cross; it has semicircular, barrel vaulting and a cupola with lantern at the crossing below the dome. Both arms of the transept and the main chapel in the apse have huge, magnificent gilt wood altarpieces built in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The main altar (chancel) has four niches that hold statues of four Jesuit saints (St. Ignatius, St. Francis Borgia, St. Francis Xavier, and St. Stanislaus Kotska). The side chapels have altarpieces in Mannerist and Baroque styles. Pulpits near the center of the church are typical of Counter-Reformation style. Actually, there is a bit of the old in the new; the octagonal baptismal font, carved in stone in the Manueline style in the early 16th century, and the 17th-century choir stalls, in exotic wood and bronze, once belonged to the Sé Velha. Also within the church is the foundation stone of an earlier Visigothic cathedral that was on this site until its destruction in 1117. On the side walls of the main chapel, there are two large organs, dating from the 18th century and showing signs of the Neoclassical style.


Coimbra: carimbo stamp from “Paroquia da Sé Nova [Parish of the New Cathedral] – Coimbra.”



‏‎10:55 AM – Coimbra: New Cathedral – view from rear of nave to apse; MT in foreground.



‎10:58 AM – Coimbra: New Cathedral – main altar with choir stalls.






‏‎10:59 AM – Coimbra: New Cathedral – organ and choir stalls on right side of main chapel (chancel).



‏‎11:00 AM – Coimbra: New Cathedral – organ and choir stalls on left side of main chapel (chancel).



‏‎11:01 AM – Coimbra: New Cathedral – dome above crossing.



‏‎10:59 AM – Coimbra: New Cathedral – side altar in right transept.



MT ‏‎11:11 AM – Coimbra: New Cathedral – close-up of angel on left side of side altar in right transept.



‏‎11:00 AM – Coimbra: New Cathedral – side altar in left transept.



‏‎11:04 AM – Coimbra: New Cathedral – statue of “Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte” (Our Lady of the Good Death), below altar in left transept.



‏‎11:03 AM – Coimbra: New Cathedral – sign for “Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte que se venera na Sé Nova (Coimbra)” [Our Lady of the Good Death, who is venerated in the New Cathedral (Coimbra)].

Nossa Senhora de Boa Morte (Our Lady of the Good Death) is one of the titles given to the Virgin Mary. The Catholic tradition avoids saying that Our Lady died, replacing death with “dormition” (sleeping). According to the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church, she was assumed into heaven at the end of her earthly life. On August 15, the Church celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of the Assumption. The veneration of Our Lady of the Good Death is a result of religious syncretism, i.e., the combination or reconciliation of different religious beliefs. The devotion to Our Lady of the Good Death reached the Christians of the West, through the Christian tradition of the East, under the title of “Dormition of the Assumed.” Perhaps this was the earliest Marian cult, begun in the early centuries of Christianity. The last half of the 5th century was marked with the propagation of an apocryphal literature, written at the time of the events but not included in the Bible, about the death and assumption of the Virgin. In 1661, a parish in Portugal already had a chapel of Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte. Through the Portuguese, the cult arrived in Brazil, where the Festa da Boa Morte is celebrated from August 13 through 17.


‏‎11:15 AM – Coimbra: New Cathedral – right side altar depicting life of Virgin Mary.

One of the side altars that stands out is the one that shows the life of the Virgin in relief, dated 1670.


‏‎11:16 AM – Coimbra: New Cathedral – woodcarved screen by main door at rear of nave.

On the way to the New Cathedral, we had gone through a parking lot where 3 or 4 young ladies, dressed in black and wearing black capes, were getting out of a car and told us they were going to sing down the street in a few minutes. So, after our quick visit to the New Cathedral, we hurried down the street, which led to the nearby Universidade de Coimbra (University of Coimbra).

The Universidade de Coimbra (University of Coimbra) was founded in Lisbon in 1290 with the Latin name Studium Generale (Portuguese: Estudo Geral = General Studies), its establishment confirmed by a Papal Bull. Likely due to problems of emancipation from the Church and conflicts between the students and inhabitants of Lisbon, it was relocated to Coimbra in 1308, occupying a site known as Estudos Velhos (Old Studies), roughly where the Main Library now stands, with some parts of the University in other places, particularly near the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz. It was returned to Lisbon in 1338 and then moved back to Coimbra in 1354. In 1377, it was transferred yet again to Lisbon, where it would remain for over a century and a half. In 1537, however, the University was permanently transferred to Coimbra, initially installed on the Rua Sofia, near the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz. In 1544, however, all the faculties of the University of Coimbra were installed in the premises of the medieval Paço Real de Coimbra (Royal Palace of Coimbra, also known as Alcáçova Palace), with where the first kings of Portugal lived from the 12th to the 15th centuries.
The original Alcáçova, built in the late 10th century, was the fortified palace where the governor of the city lived during the period of Moorish domination. In 1131, the palace would be inhabited by Dom Afonso Henriques, and when he became King Afonso I in 1139, the Paço Real da Alcáçova became Portugal’s first royal palace. Starting with the reign of King Dinis I (1279-1325), the palace was progressively abandoned, until a great reform of the buildings began in the early 16th century. In 1597, the old Paço da Alcáçova finally took the name of Paço das Escolas (Palace of the Schools).
A number of university colleges were constructed during the 16th century in an elevated position on the hill that slopes up out of the city. During the 18th century, the university curriculum was extensively restructured, along with the construction of new buildings in Baroque and Neoclassical styles.
The University of Coimbra is one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world (only the University of Bologna is older). Until 1911, it was the only university in Portugal. The University complex occupies a huge space within Coimbra and is a point of reference for locals and visitors alike. Today, the University is still one of the world’s most illustrious and is the city’s biggest attraction. The city life revolves around the state-run University, and the approximately 23,000 University students lend an oddball vitality to the city, dressed in black academic capes.

Outside a building in the newer part of the University, we found those girls and several other University students (male and female) performing traditional Portuguese music, with a violin case for donations. Some played guitars, drums, violin, and other instruments while they sang. Some performed dances using their capes or black flags.


‏‎11:19 AM - Coimbra: University of Coimbra – students performing traditional Portuguese music. The girl who had spoken to us earlier played a drum.



‏‎11:20 AM - Coimbra: University of Coimbra – students performing traditional Portuguese music; some students dancing.



‏‎11:20 AM - Coimbra: University of Coimbra – students performing traditional Portuguese music; some students dancing.



‏‎11:24 AM - Coimbra: University of Coimbra – students performing traditional Portuguese music; girl with flag (MT at right taking her photo).



‏‎11:26 AM - Coimbra: University of Coimbra – students performing traditional Portuguese music; male and female students dancing with purple ribbons (MT seated on right).



MT ‎‏‎11:33 AM - Coimbra: University of Coimbra – students performing traditional Portuguese music; male and female students dancing.



‏‎11:26 AM - Coimbra: University of Coimbra – students performing traditional Portuguese music; male and female students dancing (MT seated at right, taking their photo).



‏‎11:26 AM - Coimbra: University of Coimbra – students performing traditional Portuguese music; male and female students taking a bow after dancing (MT seated at right, taking their photo).

After a while, we left the concert and went to look at the old part of the University, entering the Paço das Escolas courtyard through the Porta Férrea gate. We discovered that, to go into any of the buildings, one had to buy a ticket for the whole cycle; so we passed on the ticket and just viewed the outsides.


‏‎11:30 AM - Coimbra: University of Coimbra – Paço das Escolas – east side (outside) of main gate Porta Férrea with mosaic of University’s seal in front of it.

The Porta Férrea (Iron Gate), at the entrance to the campus, is located at the original entrance of the 10th-century Moorish fortress. Today, the elements of military architecture that protected the entrance are no longer visible, although inside the walls of the building there are still some vestiges of the two semicircular defensive towers that flanked it. This gate was the first significant work after the University acquired the Palace from King Felipe I in 1597 and was fully funded by him. Its construction dates from 1634, conceived as a double-sided triumphal arch, following the tradition of a military fort). Since, by the second third of the 17th century, security concerns had lost relevance, the Iron Gate was filled with symbols and images that clearly adopted a university language. It is surmounted (on both sides) by a statue of Sapiência (Wisdom), whose image is also on the seal of the University that appears on the pavement that precedes the entry. Just below Wisdom on each side of the portal, niches display the statues of King Dinis I (on the outside), responsible for the University’s foundation, and King João III (on the inner side), who permanently installed it in Coimbra. Flanking the door on each of the symmetrical portals are female statues representing the largest faculties of the University at that time: Law and Medicine on the outside and Theology and Canon Law on the inner side.





Coimbra: University – Porta Férrea – west façade (https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pa%C3%A7o_das_Escolas#/media/File:UniCoimbraGate1.jpg).



‏‎11:30 AM - Coimbra: University of Coimbra – Paço das Escolas – signpost next to Porta Férrea in Portuguese, English, and French for “Paço das Escolas.” English text [edited per Portuguese]:
“The image of the University of Coimbra is closely connected to the Upper Town Area [Portuguese: Alta Universitária], a heterogeneous architectural ensemble where the constructions of the so-called New State [Estado Novo*] are put in relief [destacam-se = stand out], and also [above all] the Pateo [Pátio = Courtyard] and the Paço das Escolas looked down upon [dominated by] by the famous University Tower.
“In 1544, the Paço das Escolas included all the Faculties of the University of Coimbra, after the final accommodation of the University in this city in 1537, putting an end to a true[ly] itinerant path of almost three centuries between Lisbon and Coimbra.
“Before that, the General Studies [Estudos Gerais] (later known as University) took place [Portuguese: funcionavam = functioned] in a building referred [to] as the Old Studies [Estudos Veljos], more or less where the Main Library [Biblioteca Geral] is today, and also [distributed] in various areas, namely [in buildings] near the Santa Cruz Monastery.”
*The Estado Novo (New State), also known as the Second Republic, was the corporatist authoritarian regime installed in Portugal in 1933 following a military coup in 1926 and lasting until 1974.


‏‎11:31 AM - Coimbra: University of Coimbra – (from left to right) Torre da Universidade (Tower of the University) and Sala Grande dos Atos (Great Hall of Acts), with steps of Via Latina, to right of entrance to Paço das Escolas.

Entering the complex through the 17th-century Porta Férrea (Iron Gate), one finds the large courtyard known as Paço das Escolas (Square of Schools) or Pátio das Escolas (Courtyard of the Schools). On the north side of the courtyard are the actual main buildings (Via Latina) of the Old University, on the east is the main entrance (Porta Férrea) and the observatory, and on the west is the small Capela de São Miguel (sometimes called the University Church); the south side is open, with a view of the city toward the river.


Coimbra: University - Paço das Escolas – west, north, and east sides (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Pa%C3%A7o_das_Escolas_Universidade_de_Coimbra_IMG_0287.JPG).

The Sala Grande dos Atos (Great Hall of the Acts) is also known as Sala dos Capelos (Hall of the Cloaks), referring to the ornamental cloak worn by University Doctors on solemn occasions. The hall in this building is where several important events in early Portuguese history occurred. This room was originally the throne room of the Royal Palace, and was remodeled in the 17th century and again in the early 18th century. Since the Palace was converted to the University, the hall is where the most important ceremonies of the University are held, such as the defense of doctoral dissertations, the granting of honorary doctorates to dignitaries, the official opening of the school year, and the investiture of the Rector of the University.
The Via Latina is an elegant Mannerist/Neoclassical colonnade, located on the main façade of the old Royal Palace. It was built in 1773. The name comes from Latin, which was the official language of teaching at the University until 1772, when it changed to Portuguese. The central staircase is topped with a triangular pediment featuring the national coat of arms of Portugal, and at the top is the statue of Sapiência (Wisdom). In the center of the portico, dated 1700-1702, is the bust of King José I, responsible for the reform of 1773. Its staircase is a popular place for student events, such as class photos.





‏‎11:31 AM (Cropped) - Coimbra: University – Torre da Universidade.

The Baroque Torre da Universidade (University Tower), built between 1728 and 1733, replaced an earlier tower built in 1561. The 18th-century tower is 34 m (111.5 ft) high. The tower, with its clock and four bells regulating academic activities, played a central role in university life and is a symbol of the University. According to the Old Statutes, the University clock would always be a quarter of an hour behind the town clock. Visitors with a ticket can climb to the top of the tower for a magnificent view of the city.

Then, while MT stayed in the shade near the Porta Férrea, Don followed a large group of (mostly French) tourists into the building to the left of the tower, which housed the Capela de São Miguel. However, the tourists were only headed for the WC (restrooms) in that building.


Coimbra: University – from right to left: part of Via Latina, Torre da Universidade, Capela de São Miguel, and Biblioteca Joanina (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a6/Pa%C3%A7os_da_Universidade_ou_Pa%C3%A7os_das_Escolas_-_Bibliotena_Joanina%2C_Capela_S%C3%A3o_Miguel%2C_Torre_e_Via_Latina.jpg).

The Capela de São Miguel (Chapel of St. Michael) was built between 1517 and 1522, replacing a private chapel for the Royal Palace dating back to the 11th century, probably shortly after the retaking of the city from the Moors in 1064. Like all the Portuguese royal chapels, it was dedicated to St. Michael, due to his (religious) role in defeating the forces of evil. When the University acquired the Royal Palace, it also acquired the Chapel, maintaining its royal privilege. The current configuration is a result of 16th-century renovation under the patronage of King Manuel I, who championed the Manueline style that left its mark here. That renovation was completed by the famous architect Diogo de Castilho. The Manueline style is mainly visible in the huge windows of the aisle and transept. The chapel was also remodeled in the 17th and 18th centuries. The façade has a Manueline doorway, but entry is by a side door in Neoclassical style dating from 1780. The interior decoration was realized during the 17th and 18th centuries. The chapel has an imposing 3,000-pipe Baroque organ, dated 1733, which is lavished with gilded angels and with Chinese motifs similar to those in the Baroque shelves of the Biblioteca Joanina. The walls of the nave and chancel are lined with 17th- and 18th-century carpet-style azulejo tiles manufactured in Lisbon. The main altarpiece, in gilded carved wood, is considered a masterpiece of the Portuguese Mannerist style, dating from 1605; it features Mannerist paintings of the life of Christ.





Coimbra: University – Capela do São Miguel, main altar (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Coimbra#/media/File:Coimbra_university_church.jpg).



‏‎11:34 AM - Coimbra: University – cloister, courtyard, and bust.





The Baroque Biblioteca Joanina (Joanine Library), a landmark of the ancient university, was built between 1717 and 1728, at the instigation of King João V, after whom the library is named. It was built to exalt the monarch and the wealth of the Portuguese Empire, primarily from Brazil. It houses one of the oldest collections in Portugal, with more than 250,000 works dating from the 12th to the 19th centuries arranged in beautiful gilt-covered bookcases decorated with Chinese motifs. Prior to the construction of this building, the old library had been moved constantly from one location to another, its collection continually expanding and with no building suitable or large enough to house it. On the upper floor, the library has three large cathedral-like rooms with triumphal arches of polychrome wood and painted panel ceilings. In typical Baroque style, the rooms are full of trompe-l’oeil decorative features. This floor was used as a place of study from 1777 until the middle of the 20th century, when the new Main Library was inaugurated. The grand entrance, in Baroque style, has a triumphal arch in the same style as those inside, in this case flanked with Ionian columns and crowned by the royal coat of arms (national coat of arms of Portugal).




At the open south end of the Paço das Escolas, was a large statue of King João III.


‏‎11:36 AM - Coimbra: University – statue of King João III; below the coat of arms is the inscription “D. João III 1502-1557.”

The statue of King João III, who based the University permanently in Coimbra, was erected in 1950.


‏‎11:37 AM - Coimbra: University – view from near statue of King João III back toward north end of Paço das Escolas, where MT (and others) waited in shade near entrance at right.



‏‎11:35 AM - Coimbra: University – northeast corner of Paço das Escolas, with part of  Sala Grande dos Atos, Via Latina, Sala das Armas, and inside of Porto Férrea.

On the north side of the Paço das Escolas, the lower building, to right of Sala Grande dos Atos (Great Hall of Acts) and the staircase of the Via Latina, is the Sala das Armas (Hall of the Arms, i.e., Armory) or Sala dos Archeiros or (Hall of the Archers). It houses the arms (halberds) of the extinct Guarda Real Académica (Royal Academic Guard), used by the Archeiros (guards, who didn’t actually use bows) in solemn academic ceremonies, such as the granting of doctorates, the investiture of a rector, and the solemn opening of the school year.


MT ‏‎12:01 PM - Coimbra: pedestrians and cars on narrow street.



MT ‏‎12:30 PM - Coimbra: pedestrians on narrow street.

On our way back down from the Upper City on the Rue de Querba Costas, we finally found the Arco de Almedina, which we may have unwittingly passed through before.


‏‎12:25 PM - Coimbra: Arco de Almedina – upper side arch and lower part of Torre de Almedina.



‏‎12:25 PM - Coimbra: Arco de Almedina – MT at lower side (outside) arch.

The Arco de Almedina (Almedina Arch) was part of the main gateway of the medieval city wall. (In Arabic, al medina means “the town.”) Its oldest part dates from the 9th century, and it originally consisted of two turrets linked by an arch. This was the main gateway of the medieval city wall. The large arch was originally horseshoe-shaped but the sides have been thinned over the centuries, giving it the appearance of a pointed arch. It was greatly altered and restored in the 12th century, to include the Torre de Almedina, built above the arch. Its present appearance is probably the result of work carried out on the orders of King Manuel I in the early 16th century.
The Arco de Almedina was part of the medieval wall rebuilt in the 11th century by the Arab conqueror Almansor. Visible in its masonry are some ashlar stones from the Roman time. It is the only surviving gate of the three that once led into the citadel. It now marks the entrance into the old part of Coimbra.
The Torre de Almedina (Almedina Tower) was built above the Almedina Arch, probably in the 11th century, and modified many times over the centuries. The upper part of the tower has meshed windows with columns. It is accessed through an ogival door by a steep stone staircase outside.
Its function was to keep watch and to defend the main access to the city within the walls. The tower had many functions. In the 14th and 15th centuries it was also the headquarters of municipal and judicial power. In 1541, the tower was expanded to create space for the Casa de Câmara (City Council). At the top of the tower is the bell that used to announce meetings of the city council, as well as times when the gates would be opened or closed to the local population, a procedure that continued until 1870. This was also once the site of a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Conception, where mass would be celebrated before council meetings. After 1835, when a new place was found for the City Hall, several other institutions occupied the space inside the tower until, finally in 1988, it was used to house the Municipal Historical Archives, which is still the case today.
The picturesque Rua de Querba-Costas (literally the Back-breaking Street) leads with staggering steps from the Arco de Almedina to the square where the Old Cathedral stands. The curious name is said to have been a humorous was in which the people of Coimbra described this steep, tortuous hill with slippery cobblestones that would have caused many falls.

Then we went looking for two restaurants (O Trovador and Zé Manel) mentioned in Brierley’s guidebook; after checking the menus posted outside, we didn’t like the prices of either one.
In the process of looking for those restaurants, we happened to find two churches of interest: the Igreja de São Tiago (Santiago) and Igreja de São Bartolomeu.

The Igreja de São Bartolomeu, at the north end of the Praça do Comércio (Square of Commerce), was open.


‏‎12:34 PM - Coimbra: Igreja de São Bartolomeu – façade.

The Igreja de São Bartolomeu (Church of St. Bartholomew) is located on the Praça do Comércio (Square of Commerce), formerly called Largo (square) de São Bartolomeu, in the freguesia (civil parish) of São Bartolomeu in the city of Coimbra. This is one of the oldest religious sites in the city; although the date of the original church is unknown, it dates back at least to the middle of the 10th century since it was mentioned in a document of 957. It was rebuilt in the 12th century in the Romanesque style, due to the ruined state of the original church after the Moorish invasion of 987. Once again threatened by ruin in 1109, the church was demolished and rebuilt in the 18th century on vestiges of the medieval building, resulting in its current simple Baroque form. The exterior is austere, and the interior decoration is also sober. Outside, it has two quadrangular bell towers, the left one with a clock, and an entrance portal, flanked by protruding Ionic columns and topped by a balcony with a window. Above the portal, the east-facing façade has an oval oculus (round window) and is topped by a triangular pediment. The interior consists of a single nave with a vaulted ceiling and gilded Baroque altarpieces. Of particular interest is the altarpiece above the main altar (chancel), typical of the 18th-century Coimbra Rococo, which is similar to the main altar of the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz but includes a large painting of the martyrdom of the patron saint at its center. On the Gospel (left) side of the nave, a Mannerist altarpiece from the 16th century has paintings of the death and resurrection of Christ. There are two simple wooden pulpits on stone bases.


‏‎12:35 PM - Coimbra: Igreja de São Bartolomeu – historical marker sign for “Igreja de S. Bartolomeu (St. Bartholomeu Church)” with text in Portuguese and English. English text [edited per Portuguese]:
“Its origin goes back to the 10th century, but it was transformed in the 12th and 18th centuries. Inside, the church, the chief points of interest are the gilded woodcarving altarpieces in Baroque style, particularly that of the chancel (18th century), which contains a canvas alluding to St. Bartholomew’s Martyrdom. On the Gospel side, [on an altarpiece of the Mannerist style,] paintings alluding to Christ’s Death and Resurrection can be seen in a 16th century altarpiece.”



‏‎12:35 PM - Coimbra: Igreja de São Bartolomeu – view from rear of nave to apse.



Coimbra: – Igreja de São Bartolomeu, with Pelourinho de Coimbra in square in front of church (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Pelourinho_de_Coimbra#/media/File:Igreja_de_S%C3%A3o_Bartolomeu_em_Coimbra_-_Vista_da_fachada.jpg).

The Pelourinho de Coimbra (Pillory of Coimbra) is located in front of the Igreja de São Bartolomeu on the Praça do Comércio (Square of Commerce), formerly called Largo (square) de São Bartolomeu. The pillory was erected in a public square, as a symbol of jurisdiction and authority, at which condemned lawbreakers were exposed and punished. Later it was used to hang edicts.
The pillory dates back to the 16th century, when in all likelihood it was originally built on the Largo de São Bartolomeu. In its original version, it was a simple column erected on four steps, with four iron arms ending in hooks and forming a cross next to the capital. The construction of the pillory was part of a 16th-century movement of urban renewal and is also in keeping with King Manuel I’s reform of the forais (town charters), which the pillory would celebrate. Thus, the pillory has decorative elements typical of the Manueline era, such as the armillary sphere (the symbol of Manuel I) with a zodiacal band surmounted by the Cross of Christ (see earlier blog entry from September 2 in Tomar).
In 1610 or 1611, it was transferred to the Largo da Portagem (Square of the Toll), where it was adapted to serve as a fountain. The long spire that supports the wrought iron Manueline decorative elements was a later addition, probably in the 18th century, while the pillory was in the Largo da Portagem. It remained there until 1836, when it was placed in storage until 1984. The remains of the original are now conserved in the Machado de Castro National Museum in Coimbra. The current copy, on three steps, is a reconstruction from the 1980s, based on an engraving of the historical era.
*According to pt.wikipedia.org, the pillory was originally located in front of the Sé Velha (Old Cathedral), where it was next to the Câmara Municipal (City Hall). It was moved to the Praça do Comércio at the end of the 15th century (1498). However, according to the official  www.patrimoniocultural.gov.pt, the pillory, in all likelihood, was originally built on the Largo de São Bartolomeu.
The Largo de São Bartolomeu, now known as Praça do Comércio (Square of Commerce) and also known as Praça Velha (Old Square), is a large area where the churches of São Bartolomeu  and São Tiago. The two churches were both erected (or rebuilt) in the 12th century, in the middle of the Reconquista (Reconquest from the Moors), and since then have been the center of the city. In the urban reform of the 16th century, the square was enlarged and became the site of the Câmara Municipal (City Hall), the Casa da Misericórdia, the notaries, the butchers, an important market, and the royal hospital, as well as the pillory.


‏‎12:37 PM - Coimbra: – Pelourinho de Coimbra in square in front of Igreja de São Bartolomeu.

At the opposite end of the Praça do Comércio was the Igreja de São Tiago. Although the church was open, there was Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament going on inside.


‏‎1:12 PM – Coimbra: Igreja de São Tiago – façade.

On a corner of the Praça do Comércio (Square of Commerce), in the freguesia (civil parish) of São Bartolomeu, is the Igreja de São Tiago (Church of Santiago or St. James). The present structure, built between the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th, is one of the great monuments in the Romanesque style in the city.
Original work on a church began before 957, when it was mentioned in the same document as the Igreja de São Bartolomeu. (There is also a tradition that places its foundation at the time Coimbra was recaptured from the Moors in 1064, when a church dedicated to St. James the Apostle is said to have been founded on this very site.) The church was rebuilt starting in the last decades of the 12th century (exact date unknown but probably sometime between 1139 and 1183, during the Christian Reconquest) and was consecrated in 1206. The construction lasted several years and at least two building campaigns, both in Romanesque style, took place in this time.
Although it has undergone several modifications throughout the centuries, the most radical intervention took place in the 16th century, when a second church was built onto the primitive church, to serve as the Igreja da Misericórdia (Church of Mercy) of the city. That addition, built in the 1540s, was removed in the radical restoration that took place in the first half of the 20th century (1908-1932). In 1861, the City Council decided to widen the street behind the church, resulting in the loss of part of the apse.
Points of particular interest on the exterior are the main portal (on the west-facing façade) and the south side door, both being typical of the Coimbra Romanesque. They are the finest examples is this style, following the model of the Old Cathedral.
On a robust and otherwise plain 12th-century Romanesque façade, the main portal, with four archivolts, seems later that other parts and involved more talented artists. The capitals contain various motifs, both vegetal and animal, some derived from the decoration of the Old Cathedral. The capitals are of much lower quality, certainly produced by less talented artists who were replaced during the second phase of Romanesque construction. The columns are also profusely decorated with geometric reliefs in the form of a spiral and plant motifs.
The elegant south side door is probably from the end of the 12th century. It has three archivolts without decoration, surrounded by a frame shaped like a vine. It is also decorated with shell patterns in homage to the patron saint.



The interior of the church has three naves, with a chapel at the head of each. In the 16th century, a flamboyant Gothic chapel was added on the left (north) side, one of the few examples of that style found in Coimbra. The main chapel (chancel) has an exuberant 18th-century Rococo altarpiece in high-quality carved and gilded wood with marble-like effects. Also in the 18th century, the columns dividing the church into three naves were covered with new masonry, taking away their original Romanesque purity. The different thickness of the walls of the nave, in the section adjoining the apse, forms a false transept.


‏‎1:13 PM – Coimbra: Igreja de São Tiago – steps up to side door, where we entered.



‏‎1:17 PM – Coimbra: Igreja de São Tiago – view from rear of nave to apse; MT at right.

Then Don wanted to go back to the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz, to see more of the inside. On the way, on Rua do Corvo (Street of the Crow or Raven), we happened to see the Tabua da Moura (tabua = table, and the owner is Joana Moura) with tapas and sangria on the outdoor menu. It was almost 2 pm, so we decided to eat there.


‏‎2:28 PM – Coimbra: Tabua da Moura with MT and others at sidewalk tables.



‏‎2:28 PM – Coimbra: Tabua da Moura – sign outside door.

We split Misto Queijos (mixed cheese plate) for €8 and sweet red pepper stuffed with mussels and shrimp (€5). We also had 2 large sangrias (€3 each); 0.5 L bottle of water (€1.50); and bread (€2.80 for 2 baskets). The total was €23.30. While we ate and drank at a sidewalk table, we talked to an Australian woman at the next table.


‏‎1:51 PM – Coimbra: Tabua da Moura – MT with our large sangrias.



MT ‏‎1:58 PM – Coimbra: Tabua da Moura – MT and Don with our large sangrias.



‏‎1:56 PM – Coimbra: Tabua da Moura – mixed cheese plate with fruit.



‏‎1:56 PM – Coimbra: Tabua da Moura – MT holding ochuvas fruit from Colombia over the mixed cheese plate.



‏‎2:07 PM – Coimbra: Tabua da Moura – stuffed red pepper, with top on.



‏‎2:07 PM – Coimbra: Tabua da Moura – stuffed red pepper, with top off.



MT ‏‎2:15 PM – Coimbra: Tabua da Moura – mussels and shrimp in stuffed red pepper.



‏‎2:11 PM – Coimbra: Tabua da Moura – mussels and shrimp, from stuffed red pepper, and apple slices on Don’s plate.



‏‎2:28 PM – Coimbra: Tabua da Moura – front window with reflection of Australian lady and Don taking photo.

After eating, MT stayed at our sidewalk table at Tabua da Moura to check her emails and Facebook on her iPhone with their WiFi, while Don went on to the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz (which turned out to be just 2 minutes’ walk). On the way, he happened to see a shop selling watches (rather expensive ones in the storefront window). Don’s Coleman sports watch had given out a couple of days earlier. After Don visited the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz, he went back to get MT from Tabua da Moura in order to show her the monastery, too. On the back to the monastery, they stopped at another shop selling watches, Ouriversaria C. Ferre (ouriversaria means jewelry store), next-door to the shop Don had seen earlier, and found less expensive watches inside. At around 3:42 pm, Don bought a watch of the G&B brand (made in China) for €12.90.


‏‎4:11 PM – Coimbra: Ouriversaria C. Ferre jewelry store where Don bought watch.

At the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz, Don was able to see not only the inside of the church but also (for a donation—he gave €1) the sacristy, chapter hall, and cloister.


‏‎2:30 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – façade.



‏‎2:30 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – historical marker sign for “Mosteiro de Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz Monastery) with text in Portuguese and English. English text [edited per Portuguese]:
“Founded in 1131 with the support of King D. Afonso Henriques it was given to the Regular Canons of St. Agostinho. The project was undertaken by the architect Roberto in the Romanesque period [Portuguese: artist of the Romanesque] and modified in the period of King D. Manuel I in [Portuguese: adapted to] the Manueline style. The doorway sculptures and the tombs [Portuguese: The sculptures of the portal and of the tombs] of King D. Afonso Henriques and King D. Sancho are [already] in the Renaissance style. The triumphal arch is 19th century.”

The Mosteiro de Santa Cruz (Monastery of the Holy Cross), also known as Igreja de Santa Cruz (Church of Santa Cruz), combines Romanesque and Baroque architecture. The quality of the artistic interventions, particularly in the Manueline period, make this one of the main historical and artistic monuments of Portugal.
The monastery was founded in 1131. It was under the patronage of Dom Afonso Henriques (soon to become the first King of Portugal, as Afonso I) and was given to the order of Regular Canons of St. Augustine, who began community life there in 1132, although construction lasted for nearly another century. King Afonso Henriques was a permanent figure in the monastery’s life and chose it as his burial place, a decision his son, King Sancho I, would follow a few years later.
The original Romanesque monastery was established on land donated by Dom Afonso, on the former site of the Royal Baths outside the city walls. The building work was started under the guidance of Archdeacon Dom Telo and Schoolmaster Dom João Peculiar. The following year Dom Teotónio was elected as the first Prior of the religious community, which already numbered 72 clerics of the Augustinian Order.
The architect Roberto was in charge of plans and supervision of the work. He built a church consisting of a single nave with three chapels on either side, an apse with a choir, and two parallel apses. The body of the church and the chapels had a barrel-vaulted ceiling. There was a strong defensive tower near the entrance.
The monastery was granted many privileges and accumulated significant wealth, as well as being an important seat of learning in medieval times. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the monastery school was known for its vast library and its active scriptorium for the production of manuscripts. Among famous scholars of the monastery school was St. Anthony of Lisbon (more commonly known worldwide as St. Anthony of Padua), who joined the Franciscan order at Coimbra.
The construction of the main chapel of the original monastic building was completed around 1150, and the church was consecrated in 1229. It was built in Romanesque style, with one nave and a high tower above the façade. Today, there is little left of its original Romanesque structure.
The original Romanesque façade was similar to that of the Old Cathedral of Coimbra, with a protruding central tower and a portal surmounted by a large window. These aspects are noticeable even today, behind the subsequent decoration.
The original building was replaced in later years by a new monastery, whose church and cloister were built in the popular Manueline style of the early 16th century. King Manuel I (after whom the style was later named) was concerned about the dignity of the final resting place of Portugal’s first two kings and decided to finance a campaign of renovation to improve the looks of both the outside and inside of the building. For this campaign, he turned to some of the best architects and artists who were active in Portugal at that time: Diogo de Castilho, Machim and João de Rouo, Cristóvão de Figueiredo, Vasco Fernandes, Boytac, Marcos Pires, and Nicolau de Chanterene. Like the Romanesque church before it, the new building also took the form of a single nave, with the addition of several side chapels.
The main façade of the new monastery was built in two successive campaigns. The two robust side towers with pinnacles and a lacy decorative platibanda (platband, a horizontal band that frames the top part of a building, hiding the roof) date back to between 1507 and 1513. At that time, the façade was fully renovated, under the guidance of the architect Diogo de Castilho, and combined Romanesque elements with the 16th-century Manueline decoration around the main portal and other Renaissance styles.


‏‎2:30 PM (Cropped) – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – closer view of main portal on main façade.

The Manueline main portal, also known as Portal de Majestade (Portal of Majesty), was constructed between 1522 and 1526 and is an emblematic element of the entire 16th-century campaign. It was designed by Diogo de Castilho, but its main achievements are due to the French sculptor Nicolas de Chanterenne (known in Portugal as Nicolau Chanterene), the sculptor who also created the three important sculptures that top the entrance. (Other sources say the three sculptures over the door were added later by another French sculptor, Jean de Rouen (known in Portugal as João de Ruão), while Chanterene had made earlier contributions under the guidance of Castilho.) The portal also has ornamental motifs by Marcos Pires.
In its central portion, below the large window, are three artistically important sculptures depicting a prophet, King David (with his harp), and Our Lady. Flanking those are weathered statues Doctors of the Church (St. Gregory and St. Ambrose on the left and St. Jerome and St. Augustine on the right). There are also statues of the Apostles. Carved by Nicolau de Chanterene and Jean de Rouen under the guidance of Diogo de Castilho, this collection of statues is the most emblematic piece of this whole monastic ensemble, harmonizing elements of the Manueline style with features inspired by other Renaissance styles. Unfortunately, much of this portal is now badly eroded.
In 1530, when the main renovation works were completed, the remains of kings Afonso I and Sancho I were transferred from their primitive sarcophagi in the narthex (vestibule) of the church to new Manueline tombs in the main chapel (chancel) of the new church, where they remain today.
Between 1528 and 1547, new construction to the monastery complex included cloisters, facilities for colleges, dormitories, and workshops.
Later architectural modifications and additions include a flamboyant Baroque triumphal arch, dating from the 18th century, in front of the main façade, as well as an ornate Baroque pipe organ started in 1719 and completed in 1724.
Inside is an ornate pulpit and the elaborate tombs of the kings, as well as impressive cloisters in the Manueline style, designed in 1524. Beautiful ceramic tiles, statues, stonework, and stained glass are found in abundance.
One of the most notable features of the church are the blue and white azulejo tiles that line the walls of the nave, illustrating the Discovery of the True Cross (on the east, left) and the life of St. Augustine (on the west, right). To the untrained eye, these tiles appear beautiful, but they were so badly manufactured that the Lisbon factory that made them refused to put their name to it. On closer inspection, the azulejos are of different intensities of blue, and some tiles are of varying sizes. The most glaring errors are that broken or damaged tiles were simply replaced by tiles that were completely out of place.


Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – Can you spot the odd piece that doesn’t fit in the tile image? Oops! (http://www.coimbraportugalguide.com/index.html).

Although badly produced, the tiles served two important purposes here: first, to improve acoustics in the church and, second, to cover the faded and damaged fresco paintings. The ancient monastery was routinely flooded, from the Mondego River, and the water damage caused the 12th-century paints to fade and decompose. When the church was remodeled in the 18th century, the frescos were covered by the cheap tiles.


Coimbra: carimbo stamp from “Igreja Paroquial de Santa Cruz [Parish Church of the Holy Cross], Tel./Fax: 239 822 941, 3000-300 Coimbra.”



‏‎2:31 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – view from rear of nave to apse, with azulejo tiles on side walls and organ at upper left.



‏‎2:37 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – baptismal font in left rear corner of nave, behind a railing, with azulejo tiles and a station of the cross.

The baptismal font has a striated cup and octagonal border, decorated with hanging wreaths of angel heads, under a frieze of stylized scrolls.


‏‎2:32 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – baptismal font at left rear of nave, behind bars of railing.



‏‎2:32 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – azulejo tiles of Discovery of the True Cross, sometimes separated by stations of the cross, on left side of nave.

The True Cross is the name given to the remnants of the cross on which Jesus was crucified. According to Catholic tradition, the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine, traveled to the Holy Land, where in 320 she discovered the hiding place of three crosses that were believed to have been used in the crucifixion of Jesus and the two thieves; a miracle of healing is said to have revealed which of the three was the True Cross. After the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem was completed in 335, the alleged relics of the Cross were venerated there. By 359, however, fragments of the Cross were broken up, and the pieces were widely distributed. In 614, the Persians removed part of the Cross as a trophy when they captured Jerusalem, but in 628 the Byzantine Emperor defeated the Persians and took the relic first to Constantinople and then back to Jerusalem. Around 1009, when the Muslim caliph ordered the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Christians in Jerusalem hid part of the Cross until the city was retaken by European soldiers of the First Crusade. Since then, many churches came to possess what are traditionally supposed to be fragments of the True Cross. (According to some sources, it was Helena who originally carved up the cross, leaving some of it in Jerusalem and transporting a chunk to Europe, where it seemingly multiplied.)


‏‎2:33 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – azulejo tiles of Discovery of the True Cross, sometimes separated by stations of the cross, on left side of nave (next toward apse).



‏‎2:33 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – azulejo tiles of Discovery of the True Cross, sometimes separated by stations of the cross, on left side of nave (next toward apse).



‏‎2:34 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – small sculpture of Martyrs of Morocco on right side of nave.

The Martyrs of Morocco are also known as the Martyrs of Marrakesh. In 1219, St. Francis of Assisi sent five of his religious brothers from Italy to preach the faith in Morocco, where they suffered martyrdom. The Caliph of Morocco first reacted to their preaching by sending them back to Europe, but they kept returning and preaching the call to Christ and renunciation of Islam. So he had them imprisoned without food and water and tortured them. He even offered them women if they would convert, all to no avail. Finally, on January 16, 1220, he beheaded them with his own sword and handed the bodies over to the mob to be kicked around and mutilated. In 1220, their relics were brought to Portugal, where they prompted a young Augustinian canon in Coimbra to join the Franciscans and set off for Morocco himself the next year. That young man, born in Lisbon, is known in Portugal as St. Anthony of Lisbon, but in wider circles as St. Anthony of Padua, after the Italian city in which he later settled. Pope Sixtus IV canonized the five martyrs in 1517.


‏‎2:34 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – organ, on left side of nave, with pulpit to lower right and azulejos flanking arch for side altar.

The Baroque organ is from the 18th century. The mighty 4,000-pipe organ is in a box of carved wood decorated in ornate Japanese artwork. It is so complex that only four people know how to play it.
The organ is the result of several interventions between the 16th and 18th centuries. The original instrument was built from 1530 to 1532, enlarged in 1559 and again in 1694. In 1694, the organ already had two sections: the Órgão Principal and Positivo. From 1719 to 1724, the existing organ was repaired, rebuilt, and enlarged, adding a third section, the Eco. The organ was restored in 1866 and again in 2008.
The organ is located on the Gospel (left) side at the middle of the nave. It is gilded and painted a lively red color. The towers are crowned with figures holding objects (mostly flags and banners), angels with trumpets, and an eagle on the central tower. The horizontal pipes are distributed on several levels and even surround a portion of the Positivo de Costas section. On the central pipe of the main case is the coat of arms of Portugal.


‏‎2:34 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – pulpit, azulejo tiles of the Discovery of the True Cross, and another station of the cross near front of left side of nave.

The ornate, polygonal pulpit, dating from 1521-22, is considered a masterwork of Nicolau de Chanterene and one of the most beautiful Renaissance pulpits in the world. The Doctors of the Church are seated in four niches. Around them one can find baldachins, pilasters, emblatures and small scenes decorated with putti and grotesques, in typical Renaissance style. On the underside of the pulpit are winged angels, sirens, and heads of wild animals.


‏‎2:41 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – pulpit, on left side of nave, with azulejo tiles and station of the cross (telephoto 76 mm).



‏‎2:56 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – view from apse to rear of nave with vaulted ceiling of nave and high choir and balustrade of high choir loft above vaulted entrance at rear of nave, azulejo tiles below it, and organ high on left wall (the right from this view).

The interior of the church was also greatly altered in the 16th century, with the works being conducted by the architect Boytac and then by Diogo de Castilho. Boytac was responsible for the vaulting of the nave. The interior is spacious, almost double the size of the original, in spite of having only one nave.
Among the main points of interest is the high choir (choir loft), with its starry vault, above the main entrance. Designed by Diogo de Castilho, it was added around 1530. The high choir has a monumental carved chair and balustrade over a full arch with medallions in the joints, supported by corbels and pillars.
It has magnificent Manueline choir stalls of carved and gilded wood, with a frieze on the theme of exploration, showing Portuguese ships. The construction of the stalls in the 16th century occurred in three separate phases, all carried out by master carvers—foreign sculptors displaced to Portugal. The stalls were originally built in 1513 and installed in the lower choir of the main chapel, by the master known as Machim, and the work was continued in 1518 by João German. In 1531, it was enlarged by Francisco Lorete and moved to the newly constructed high choir. These are among the few stalls remaining from the Manueline time in Portugal.





‎2:36 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – main chapel (chancel) with main altar (to sides of which royal tombs are located).

The main altar is unusual since, unlike most churches, it has no statue of the patron saint; because Santa Cruz is dedicated to all of the saints, there is no statue at the focal point of the altar, but only a pyramid of multi-layered tiers that represent the steps to heaven.
All of the altars of this church appear to be surrounded by marble columns, but this is a cleverly painted deception. The columns are in fact wood painted to look like marble.
A triumphal arch leads to the choir behind the altar, in which the tombs of the kings are located.


‏‎2:36 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – azulejo tiles of the life of St. Augustine and station of the cross on right side of nave, near front.



‏‎2:37 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – azulejo tiles of the life of St. Augustine and station of the cross on wall near center of right side of nave.



‏‎2:37 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – azulejo tiles of the life of St. Augustine and station of the cross on right side, near rear of nave.



‏‎2:37 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – azulejo tiles of the life of St. Augustine and holy water font below station of the cross in rear corner on right side of nave.



‏‎2:38 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – statue of angel holding coat of arms topped with crown, off left side of nave.



‏‎2:41 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – a random archway (supporting nothing) at front right of nave, leading to door of sacristy.

In the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz, there are a number of vestiges of pre-existing structures and/or modifications and additions, including complete and truncated arches (in various styles).

Even though the door to the sacristy was closed, it was unlocked. Don ventured into the sacristy, and learned from an attendant at a desk just inside the door that there was no admission charge (as there had been in other large churches); although the website of the Coimbra Tourism Office listed “Free entry” for the church, it said “To visit the Sacristy, Chapter House, Cloisters and Exhibition” required an “Ordinary ticket: €2.50” or “Age 65 & over, & students: €1.50”). The attendant also had guide sheets (brochures) in several languages. Don took one in English to use as he toured the sacristy, chapter house, and cloister. He also took a photo of it for future reference.


‏‎2:44 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – sacristy (right side), view from near entrance door; door at far end led to Chapter Hall.

The Mannerist sacristy, designed by Pedro Nunes Tinoco, was built between 1622 and 1624. Baroque works did not significantly alter the ensemble and adapted to its pre-existing structure, as evidenced by the azulejo tile coverings of the first half of the 18th century.
The sacristy is in the style of the period of transition from Mannerism to Baroque. The genuine Mannerist atmosphere of the sacristy is transmitted by the elegant columns that support the coffered wooden ceiling, polychrome azulejo tiles, beautiful windows for light, and rich-looking 17th-century chests of drawers for religious vestments. Worthy of attention are the early 16th-century paintings of the Portuguese School, in which religious themes are depicted with great dramatic effect: Ecce Homo and the Crucifixion (by Cristóvão de Figueiredo) and Pentecost (by the great Portuguese artist Grão Vasco, also known as Vasco Fernandes). Also pictured are the Virgin Mary and the Women Saints. The great canvas depicting the Deposition from the Cross is a later work by the Baroque painter André Gonçolves of the 18th century.


‏‎2:45 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – statue of John the Baptist with polychrome azulejo tiles in sacristy.



‏‎2:45 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – sacristy - sign at foot of statue, only in Portuguese [translates into English: Author unknown, St. John the Baptist, 18th Century, polychromed wood, 132 x 70 x 36 (cm)].



‏‎2:46 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – sacristy – small sculpture of Martyrs of Morocco, with small sign, only in Portuguese [translates into English: Author unknown; Martyrs of Morocco; 18th Century; polychromed wood, metal; 28.5 x 12 x 9 (cm); Base: 12 x 47 x 31 (cm)].



‏‎2:46 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – sacristy (left side), view from near entrance door; door at far end led to Chapter Hall; large painting at right is Deposition from the Cross by André Gonçolves.



‏‎2:47 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – sacristy, view from near door that led to Chapter Hall back to entrance door on left at far end; chest of drawers on left and attendant’s desk on right.

At the attendant’s desk in the sacristy, there were guide sheets (brochures) in several languages. Don took a photo of the English version.



‏‎2:48 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – sacristy guide sheet, in English:
“SANTA CRUZ MONASTERY
“On 28th June 1131, on the site of the Royal Baths outside the city walls, the building work was started under the guidance of Archdeacon D. TELO and Schoolmaster D. JOÃO PECULIAR. The following year S. TEOTÓNIO was elected Prior of the religious community, which already numbered 72 clerics of the S. Augustine Order.
“The plans and supervision of the work were in the charge of the architect ROBERTO, who built a church consisting of a single nave with three chapels on either side, a choir comprising an apse and two parallel apsies [sic! = apses]. The body of the church and the chapels had barrel-vaulted ceiling and at the entrance a strong defensive tower built.
“The present facade, built in the Manueline period, follows in general lines the Medieval facade. In the 16 th century a doorway was added, designed by DIOGO DE CASTILHO, in which were incorporated the sculptures of NICOLAU CHANTERENE and later on, those of JOÃO DE RUÃO (the three over the door) and also ornamental motifs by MARCOS PIRES.
“The interior of the church is spacious, almost double the size of the original, in spite of having only one nave.
“Immediately above the entrance in [sic! – is] the Choir Loft constructed by DIOGO DE CASTILHO in 1539 in which the lower stelar vaulting is of special interest. The rest of the vaulting however is the work of BOUTACA during the alteration ordered by D. PEDRO GAVIÃO.
“Oppening [sic! = Opening?] of the main body of the church are various chapels.
“The panels of tiles are in [sic! = of?] the 18th century, made in Lisbon.
“Those on the left represent Holy Cross and those on the right the Life of S. Augustine.
“The pulpit, on the left-hand side, is one of the most remarkable works of the Renaissance and was sculpted by NICOLAU CHANTERENE sometime around 1522.
“TOMBS OF THE KINGS
“The most important points of interest in the choir are, however, the tombs of the Kings.
“They are complex works on which several of the greatest artists of the time worked. Thus, Diogo de Castilho designed them, a sculptor known as the MASTER OF THE KINGS TOMBS was responsible for the secondary statuary and the decoration and NICOLAU CHANTERENE sculpted the recumbent figures of D. AFONSO HENRIQUES (on the left) and D. SANCHO I (on the right).
“SACRISTY
“The Sacristy is in the style of the period of transition from Mannerism to Baroque. It was designed by PEDRO TINOCO 1622 and 1624.
“Covering the walls are azulejos dating from the times of the Sacristy’s construction and many paintings, some by great masters, such as the PENTECOSTES by Grão Vasco, the CRUCIFIXION and the ECCE HOME of Cristóvão de Figueiredo, all from the first half of the 16th century. The great canvas depicting the DESCENT from the CROSS is the work of the Baroque painter André Gonçolves of the 18th century.
“The great chest-of-drawers was made by the cabinet-marker [sic! = cabinetmaker], SAMUEL TIBAU, in the first half of the 17th century.
“CHAPTER HOUSE
“Other rooms worthy of special attention are the Chapter House, which is the work of BOUTACA and whose doorway and vaulted ceiling are very characteristic of his style: the CHAPEL OF S. TEOTÓNIO, which was built by TOMÉ VELHO towards the end of the Renaissance period and which already shows sings [sic! = signs] of decline.
“The tiles are of the 16th century.
“CLOISTER OF SILENCE
“The Cloister of Silence was built to a design by MARCOS PIRES in the years following 1517 over the remains of a Romanesque Cloister.
“In one corner is the FOUNTAIN of PAIO GUTERRES, notable for its Manueline decoration. On the three of the four end-walls of the aisles are Bas-Relief panels, works of a truly exceptional quality, attributed to NICOLAU CHANTERENE. They depict ECCO HOMO, THE ROAD TO CALVARY and THE DESCENT from the CROSS.
“Several chapel[s] open of the Cloister, amang [sic! = among] which the Chapel of Jesus is of particular interest because of its ceiling of Manueline vaulting.
“The tiles are of the 18th century. They depict the parables of CHRIST and the beatitudes.
NOTE: Please don’t forget to return this brochure at the exit/entrance.”



‏‎3:52 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – Sacristy – long chest of drawers; painting above it at left is Pentecost by Grão Vasco.




Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – sacristy, painting of Pentecostes (Pentecost) by Grão Vasco (c. 1530); note the women in the picture (https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosteiro_de_Santa_Cruz#/media/File:Gr%C3%A3o_Vasco,_Pentecostes,_da_capela_da_portaria_do_mosteiro_de_Santa_Cruz_de_Coimbra,_1534-35,_assinada_Velasco.jpg).



‏‎3:52 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – Chapter Hall, Capela de São Teotónio, view from rear to altar.

The Sala do Capítulo (Chapter Hall), built between 1507 and 1513, has a doorway and vaulted ceiling characteristic of the architect Boytac, who designed it.
The Chapter Hall holds the Mannerist Capela de São Teotónio (Chapel of St. Teotonius), dating from around 1588, built by Tomé Velho. In this chapel are the remains of the founder of the monastery. Paintings in the chapel depict scenes from the lives of King Afonso I and St. Teotonius. Statues of the four evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) stand in pairs opposite each other on the side walls. The tiles are of the 16th century.
Dom Teotónio, one of the 12 monks who had co-founded the monastery in 1131, was elected as its first prior in 1132. He was a strong ally of Afonso Henriques in his drive for Portuguese independence and remained a key advisor after Afonso proclaimed himself King of Portugal. He became a personal friend of St. Bernard of Clairvaux. In 1163, just one year after his death, he was canonized as St. Teotónio, becoming the first saint of Portugal.


‏‎2:49 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – Cloister of Silence – vaulted aisle around to right from entrance door from Chapter House; bas-relief on end wall at far end is of Christ carrying cross on the Road to Calvary.

Next to the Chapter Hall is the Claustro do Silêncio (Cloister of Silence), designed by Marcos Pires and built between 1517 and 1522 with abundant Manueline decoration, over the remains of an earlier Romanesque cloister. It is a double-tiered Manueline structure, and the lower tier, with pointed arches opening onto the courtyard, has bas-reliefs in the southwest and northeast corners with scenes of Christ’s Passion. In the upper tier, the sections are defined by three rounded arches above each arch of the lower tier. In the courtyard, there are two fountains, a very ornate one from the 17th century in the center and a smaller, plain one (which served as a lavatorium) in the southwest corner.
The lavatorium was the communal washing area of a cloister or monastery. Monks were required to wash before meals; thus the lavatorium was typically adjacent to the refectory (dining room).
On the end walls of the aisles are three limestone bas-relief scenes from the Passion, created by Nicolau Chanterene, patterned after engravings by Albrecht Dűrer and carved with great artistic sensitivity and skill: Ecce Homo (Christ scourged before Pilate’s house), the Road to Calvary (Christ carrying the cross), and the Deposition from the Cross. A fourth scene, the Crucifixion, is no longer preserved.


‏‎4:01 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – Cloister of Silence – end wall of aisle around to right from entrance door from Chapter House; bas-relief of Christ carrying cross on the Road to Calvary.



‏‎3:58 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – Cloister of Silence – end wall of another aisle; bas-relief of Deposition from the Cross.



‏‎2:49 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – Cloister of Silence – view, from corner near entrance door on shaded side, of courtyard with fountain in center and part of a fountain (a lavatorium) in corner in foreground; church in background.



‏‎2:50 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – Cloister of Silence – view, from another corner of aisles on shaded side, of courtyard with fountain in center and lavatorium in corner at right.



‏‎2:50 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – Cloister of Silence – view, from corner opposite the entrance door, of courtyard with fountain in center; barely visible in opposite corner is top of lavatorium.

Leaving the sacristy after visiting the Chapter Hall and Cloister of Silence, Don asked an attendant about the National Pantheon tombs and was told that they were around the corner in the choir (behind the main altar). Then he saw a large group of tourists up in the choir (altar) area taking pictures and was able to do the same when they cleared out. (In most churches, that area would be off limits to visitors.) Don would come back later with MT to show her the tombs.


‏‎3:40 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – National Pantheon in choir of apse – tomb of Dom Afonso Henriques (King Afonso I) (on left side) with sculptures above and around it.

The Mosteiro de Santa Cruz is historically important, since it contains the tombs of Portugal’s first two kings—Afonso I (1109-1185, ruled 1139-1185) and Sancho I (1154-1211, ruled 1185-1211). These two historically important and ornate tombs are often completely missed by visitors, since they are located in the lower choir on either side of the main altar (in most churches, this area is regarded as off limits to visitors, but in this church it is acceptable to explore the raised area surrounding the altar). Once in the choir area, they are hard to miss; they cover the entire depth of the choir, are 12 meters high, and each have up to 50 statues.
The tombs are mirror images of each other, facing the head of the church, and are surrounded by statues that symbolize bravery, leadership, and nobility. Recumbent statues of the two kings lie atop their tombs, clad in full armor, with hands joined in prayer and a lion or dog (symbol of fidelity) at their feet. Their serene expression is such that one would think that they are asleep. The figures of the kings have astonishing detail, including veins and fingernails; also the statue of Afonso is longer since he was taller in real life. The tombs are set in large niches richly decorated with statues (of apostles, evangelists, and other saints), flowers, and medallions. The niches are topped with the Cross of Christ (symbol of the Order of Christ). Because of the royal burials, the site is also designated as the Panteão Nacional (National Pantheon).
The tombs are complex works on which several of the greatest artists of the time worked. Diogo de Castilho designed them, a sculptor known as the Master of the Kings Tombs was responsible for the secondary statuary and the decoration, and Nicolau Chanterene sculpted the recumbent figures of the kings.


‏‎3:41 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – National Pantheon in choir of apse – tomb of Dom Afonso Henriques (King Afonso I) (on left side); close-up of recumbent statue.



‏‎2:55 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – National Pantheon in choir of apse – tomb of King Sancho I (on right side) with sculptures above it.



‏‎2:55 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – National Pantheon in choir of apse – tomb of King Sancho I (on right side), close-up of recumbent statue.



‏‎2:56 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – statue of John the Baptist with azulejo tiles (in nave).

Adjoining the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz, on the right, was the Café-Restaurante Santa Cruz. Both are on the Praça 8 de Maio (Square of the 8th of May).


‏‎2:30 PM – Coimbra: Mosteiro de Santa Cruz – façade and neo-Manueline Café-Restaurante Santa Cruz to right.

The luxurious Café-Restaurante Santa Cruz was built on the original monastery buildings in the popular neo-Manueline style, with a vaulted stone interior.



Shortly after the foundation of the Mosteiro de Santa Cruz for monks of the Augustinian Canon, the smaller Mosteiro de São João das Donas (Convent of St. John of the Women) was founded next to it, for some ladies who wanted to live in the manner of the canons. In 1534, after the reform, the convent was extinguished, and the sisters were moved elsewhere.
After King João III passed through Coimbra in 1527, he mandated a renovation of the monastery aimed at restoring the Igreja de Santa Cruz to include the pantheon of the first Portuguese monarchs, with the monastery church to be freed from the congestion of an excess of worshipers and reserved monks alone, leaving their silence undisturbed. For this to happen, it was necessary to build a small parish church that would serve the freguesia (civil parish) of São João da Cruz (St. John of the Cross) or São João de Santa Cruz (St. John of the Holy Cross). The construction of the church was begun around 1530, designed by the architect Diogo de Castilho. With the abolishment of male religious orders in 1834, the seat of the paróquia (religious parish) was transferred to the old monastic church. Consequently, the Igreja de São João de Santa Cruz experienced a period of abandonment. Later the building served as a hardware store, police station, plumbing warehouse, carpenter shop, funeral home, fire station, and many other functions. Nevertheless, it was classified as a National Monument in 1921.
The most significant change was in 1923, when it was adapted to the Café-Restaurante functions. The vaulted ceiling is now divided into three sections (compared to only two in the church). The arch of the crossing marks the dividing line for what would once have been the main altar (chancel), also with a vaulted, starry ceiling. The iconography, still visible today, is varied: lotus flower, lamb, sun, moon, and acanthus leaves, among other typically Christian symbols. The façade of the primitive church was very simple: only a portal with three small openings in the upper part. At the time of the reform in 1923, the façade was quite altered, with its current appearance adopting a revivalist neo-Manueline style and brightened by a set of stained glass windows above the entrance. The spans of the second floor of the façade are still conserved from the Manueline era. The interior is a mass of ribbed stone arches, stained glass windows, delicate carvings, and marble.



Coimbra: Café-Restaurante Santa Cruz – interior with view toward stained glass windows of façade (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Caf%C3%A9_Santa_Cruz%2C_Co%C3%ADmbra%2C_Portugal%2C_2012-05-10%2C_DD_04.JPG).


Then we went (quite early) to Fado ao Central and found a place in the shade on the stairs of Querba Costas to wait until the first-come seating for the 6 pm show (for which we already had tickets) started at 5:30. By that time, they had a sign out saying that the 6 pm show was sold out, but there would be a special extra show at 7 pm. We were the first in line for the 6 pm show and got great seats in the front row.


‏‎4:44 PM – Coimbra: Fado ao Centro – signs by door. Sign at top for “Fado de Coimbra” in Portuguese and English was same as earlier. English text:
“Some say that Fado from Coimbra was originated in the melodies imported by Brazilian students who, from 1860 onwards, came to Coimbra to study; others say that this form of song was brought here by students from Lisbon and that the university city made it sound different and gave it an individual flavour; yet others still connect its origin to the love songs and other tunes sung by the troubadours from Provence in the Middle Ages, which were brought to Portugal by the court of knights and minstrels who accompanied the weddings of princes and princesses. Whatever its origin, however, even those who do not speak Portuguese cannot help being overcome by the deep feelings inspired by the music’s melody.”
The sign at bottom says: “Espectáculo ao Vivo/Live Performance 18h00 [6:00 pm] – Fado & Port Wine – Reserve o seu Lugar/Book your Seat” and gives phone numbers for booking (same as earlier, but now had added in red: “Esgotado/Sold Out.” Just above it was another sign identical to it, except for the time “19h00” [7:00 pm] and its adding in red “Sessão Especial/Special Concert.”

The Fado de Coimbra is a highly stylized genre of fado music originated in Coimbra. The fado of Coimbra is unique—sung only by men—and is considered more refined than that of Lisbon. It was created by the University students to woo the women of Coimbra. Traditionally, fado is only performed after 10 pm, but you can catch hour-long performances at the Fado ao Central (Fado Center) in the middle of Escada do Querba-Costas, which translates roughly as “Staircase of the Backbreaker.”
At the bottom of the Old Town, this friendly fado center is a good place to introduce oneself to the musical genre. There is a performance every evening at 6 pm. Shows include plenty of explanation, in Portuguese and English, about the history of Coimbra fado and the meaning of each song.

The show was great. They explained that Coimbra fado is more romantic than in Lisbon and only performed by male University students or former students. The instruments are a Spanish guitar with nylon strings and a special fado guitar (also known as Portuguese guitar).


‏‎5:46 PM – Coimbra: Fado ao Centro – fado guitar (on left side of platform) and Spanish guitar (on right side of platform).

After a film introduction (with English subtitles), two young men played the guitars and an older man and another young man sang—including a song to serenade a young lady.


‏‎5:58 PM – Coimbra: Fado ao Centro – two young musicians playing fado guitar (on left) and Spanish guitar (on right).



‏‎6:02 PM – Coimbra: Fado ao Centro – two young musicians playing fado guitar (on left) and Spanish guitar (on right), with older man (behind them) singing.



‏‎6:06 PM – Coimbra: Fado ao Centro – two young musicians playing fado guitar (on left) and Spanish guitar (on right), with another young man (behind them) singing.



‏‎6:07 PM – Coimbra: Fado ao Centro – two young musicians playing fado guitar (on left) and Spanish guitar (on right), with another young man (behind them) singing. The screen behind them showed photos of older group of fado performers.



‏‎6:20 PM – Coimbra: Fado ao Centro – two young musicians playing fado guitar (on left) and Spanish guitar (on right), with another young man (behind them) singing. The screen behind them showed photos of another fado performer.



‏‎6:33 PM – Coimbra: Fado ao Centro – two young musicians playing fado guitar (on left) and Spanish guitar (on right), again with older man (behind them) singing. The screen behind them showed photos of fado performers.

After the show, we were ushered out to a small courtyard behind the Fado ao Central, where we got a few crackers and a very small glass of Port wine (somewhat of a disappointment).

As we left Fado ao Central, just before we came to the Arco de Almedina arch, we saw an interesting modern statue of a woman shaped like a fado guitar.


‏‎6:52 PM – Coimbra: between Fado ao Centro and Arco de Almedina - statue of a woman shaped like a fado guitar (front view).



‏‎6:53 PM – Coimbra: between Fado ao Centro and Arco de Almedina - statue of a woman shaped like a fado guitar (rear view), with Arco de Almedina and lower part of Torre de Almedina at right.

Earlier, we had gone to the Turismo [Tourist Office] and asked about where to catch a bus back toward our Hotel Vila Gale. The lady said we should get a bus in front of the Hotel Astoria, which would take us to the Estacão Central (Central Station) just north of the rotunda (traffic circle) by our hotel. She said the last bus would be at 7:45 pm. We rushed over there and caught an earlier bus at about 7:15 pm (€1.60 each).


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