Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
minders of the nation's embattled early days, when the Moors were still a threat. These
buildings were designed to be useful as fortresses in times of trouble. The exceptional
main portal and facade are striking.
The church was financed by the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, in the 12th
century. The high, barrel-vaulted nave preserves its main Romanesque features; side altars
and well-preserved Gothic tombs of bishops are backed by bright Andalusian tiles. The
high gilt retable is in ornate late-Gothic style and depicts the Assumption of Mary. Con-
trast this with the Renaissance Capela do Santíssimo Sacramento alongside. If you want to
visit on a Sunday, duck in just before or after 11am Mass.
Museu Nacional de
Machado de Castro
( 239 853 070;
www.mnmachadodecastro.imc-ip.pt
; Largo Dr José Rodrigues; adult/child €6/free, cryptoportico
only €3; 10am-12.30pm & 2-6pm Tue-Sun Oct-Mar, 10am-6pm Tue-Sun Apr-Sep)
Recently reopened, this
great museum is a highlight of central Portugal. It's fitting that it has become a real centre
of the local community, with people gathering to admire the views from its patio and cafe,
for it's built over the Roman forum, the remains of which you can see. The artistic collec-
tion is wide-ranging and superb.
Part of the visit takes you down to the vaulted galleries of the cryptoportico that al-
lowed the forum to be level on such a hilly site. It's spooky and immensely atmospheric.
The route through the museum section starts with sculpture, from the architectural
(column capitals) through Gothic religious sculpture and on. Highlights include a section
of the delicate cloister of São João de Almedina and some exquisite alabaster pieces from
England. Renaissance masters arriving in Coimbra from other parts of Europe brought
their own styles and contributed to the establishment of a distinctive Coimbra tradition. A
whole chapel has even been reassembled here. The section downstairs includes impressive
16th-century terracotta figures from Hodart's Last Supper, while paintings on the higher
floors include stunning Flemish panels by Metsys. A collection of gold monstrances, fur-
niture, and Moorish-influenced pieces are almost too much by the time you reach them.
MUSEUM
Sé Nova
(New Cathedral; 239 823 138; Largo da Sé Nova; admission €1; 9.30am-12.30pm & 2-6.30pm Tue-Sat)
The
large, severe 'new' cathedral, started by the Jesuits in 1598 but only completed a century
later, dominates the square of the same name high in the old town. Its sober Renaissance
CATHEDRAL
