On this visit we share centuries of history of an ancient city. On the banks of the Mondego River, Coimbra is known for its University, the oldest in Portugal and one of the oldest in Europe, which over time has shaped its image, making it the city of students. This is part of UNESCO, which included it in the World Heritage list, in a classification that also includes Rua da Sofia, Alta and the Machado de Castro National Museum. In recent years, the city has become one of the region's top tourist and cultural destinations. Come meet her with us!
It is the oldest Portuguese-speaking university and one of the oldest in the world. It was founded in 1290, by King D. Dinis, having then the name of Estudos Gerais. This is definitively established in Coimbra in 1537, during the reign of D. João III, settling in the current Paço das Escolas in 1544. With more than 730 years of history, the University of Coimbra is an unavoidable institution in the history of Portugal and from all over the world. It was considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2013, due to its unique tangible and intangible heritage, fundamental in the history of European and world scientific culture.
was founded during the reign of Afonso Henriques, beginning in the 12th century, under the guidance of Mestre Roberto. This Romanesque church, built in yellow limestone, consists of three naves, a protruding transept and a tripartite chevet. At the beginning of the 16th century, the execution of the Porta Especiosa, of a Renaissance character, whose authorship is attributed to the architect João de Ruão and the sculptor Nicolau Chanterenne. With a gilded altarpiece, in a flamboyant Gothic style, it was designed by the Flemings Olivier de Ghent and Jean d'Ypres. And in the side aisles, we have 16th-century Sevillian tiles that covered the pillars and aisles.
is one of the oldest and most important monuments in Coimbra, founded in 1131 by the Canons Regular of Santo Agostinho and by D. Afonso Henriques. This was outside the walls that surrounded the city. National Pantheon since August 22, 2003, where you can see the tombs of the first two kings of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques and D. Sancho I. The tomb chests, placed opposite each other, are framed by stone altarpieces, markedly Gothic end, but where the Manueline and Renaissance decoration prevail. The walls of the church's nave were decorated with white and blue tiles with biblical passages and, in the 18th century, a new baroque organ was installed.