Hello friends, today I wanted to talk about our trip to Coimbra. The city is located on the banks of the Mondego River. The bridge here is quite modern and has an interesting structure. It is a pedestrian bridge called the Pedro and Inês bridge. This name refers to a tragic love story in Portuguese history: Prince Pedro and his lover Inês de Castro. The mentioned lovers are buried in the Alcobaça monastery. This monastery is the first royal cemetery in Portugal and their love stories take place here. And during our short stay we had the opportunity to see many places.
Pedro and Inês first met here. At that time, Pedro was a prince and Inês was the daughter of a Galician noble. Their love was a forbidden one because King Afonso IV did not approve of their relationship. Eventually King Afonso hired assassins to kill Inês. However, when Pedro ascended to the throne, he punished these assassins. Even after Pedro’s death, stories about Inês continued to be told. There is a love fountain at their meeting places where people tie ribbons. There is also a tear fountain where Pedro cried a lot after losing Inês. These fountains are quite emotional and impressive. All these are located in a beautiful and scenic garden. The city generally has a green and pleasant atmosphere.
Aside from this before coming here, we visited a nearby place called Vale de Canas. In Vale de Canas there is the tallest tree in Europe, a eucalyptus tree that is 73 meters tall. This tree is really impressive and gigantic.
Coimbra is also famous for its university, aside from the tragic love story of Pedro and Inês. The University of Coimbra the oldest university in Portugal, was founded in 1290 by King Dinis I. Initially located in Lisbon, the university was later moved here. We visited the central square of the university, which houses the Joanine Library, Saint Michael Chapel and the clock tower. There is also a statue of King João III here because he was the one who facilitated the university’s relocation. The University of Coimbra is quite prestigious and a well-known educational institution, with many famous Portuguese individuals having studied here.
Many famous names have graduated from the University of Coimbra, including a Portuguese doctor who won a Nobel Prize. The medical school of the university has a very modern structure. The university has a total of eight faculties and the one that interested us the most was the Faculty of architecture. Some architects who graduated from here still continue to work in Coimbra. The coexistence of history and modernity in the city is an inspiration for architects. For example, Sapiens Hotel below is a beautiful example of a historic building being carefully restored with modern additions. There is even a café on the roof of the hotel with a wonderful view. If you want to stay away from places crowded with students, this café can be a good alternative.
Exiting from the school courtyard and turning slightly to the right past the Faculty of Humanities, we came across the new cathedral. When I say new I mean it is new compared to the old one. Built in the 16th century, this structure is a Jesuit church constructed in the Baroque style. Both its interior and exterior architecture bear the distinct features of the Baroque style, making it an excellent study point for architecture students. The old cathedral on the other hand, was built in the 12th century when Coimbra was the capital in the 10th century. At that time Muslims ruled the Iberian Peninsula and there are some structures from that era here as well.
The old cathedral is indeed very old and the surrounding area needs to be redeveloped. From the area next to the cathedral, we could see the university's clock tower, which shows the significant elevation differences in the city. Compared to the seven hills of Lisbon, the hill on which the university is located is much higher, creating a large elevation difference. This provides an excellent fitness opportunity for students. The city center is usually crowded, but this time it was quite empty.
Coimbra is also famous for fado, the traditional Portuguese music. There are many fado singers and fado cafes here. Uniquely, there are many fados sung by students. And the Arminda Gate and Barbican Gate are historical artifacts from the city's Muslim period. These gates are part of the old walls of Coimbra. There is a tower above the gate and a museum is located in the tower. Exiting through the Barbican Gate, we reach the main shopping street.
Friends I am concluding this brief tour of Coimbra at a very significant location. It is Largo da Portagem Square, located right across from the historic Mondego River bridge. Here stands the statue of Joaquim António de Aguiar, a highly controversial Portuguese political figure of the 19th century. He served as Prime Minister three times and as Minister of Justice. He is known for his decree to nationalize the property of all monasteries, colleges and orphanages during his time. This act effectively ended the lives of the monks living in these institutions, earning him the nickname The Monk Killer. His statue stands here, holding a pen with which he signed his infamous decree.
I hope you enjoyed this short tour. We liked it a lot and perhaps we will visit again someday.
