Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
He studied in Coimbra as a young monk in the 13th century. A statue of him dressed as
an Augustinian monk is the centerpiece of a side altar on the left.
Step behind the altar for a close-up look at two fine 16th-century tombs. On the left
lies the first Portuguese king, Afonso Henriques (1095-1185). Afonso “The Conqueror”
reclaimed most of Portugal from the Moors, declared himself king, got the pope to ap-
prove the title, and settled down in his chosen capital—Coimbra. There, his wife gave
birth to young Sancho, who later became king. Sancho I (1154-1211, tomb on right) was
known as “The Populator.” He saw the destruction that war had brought to the country,
and set about rebuilding and repopulating, inviting northern European Crusaders (such as
the Knights Templar) to occupy southern Portugal and giving trade privileges to border
towns to strengthen his country's economy.
Notice that these tombs are carved in the richly ornamented Manueline style. In the
16th century, while on a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, the great King Manuel
I dropped by this church and was underwhelmed by the two kings' original tombs. He
commissioned these beautifully carved replacements—much more fit for kings. Study the
intimate faces. Notice how the kings seem only to be resting. (To make themselves more
comfortable, they've “hung” their helmets and arm-guards just behind them.)
Church of Santa Cruz Sacristy:
For €2.50, you can explore the sacristy (entrance
to right of main altar), see the treasures of the church, and pass through the impressive
chapter room into a Manueline Cloister of Silence (Mon-Fri 9:00-17:00, Sat 9:00-12:00
& 14:00-17:00, Sun 16:00-17:30). The first room is the actual sacristy (with “carpet tiles”
blanketing the walls and huge banks of drawers for priests' vestments). The next room
has relics, including the skull of St. Teotonio, the first Portuguese saint. The chapter room
(with St. Teotonio's tomb) opens into the Cloister of Silence, where monks used to med-
itate, inspired by the tiled scenes of Christ teaching the beatitudes.
• Exit the church into the main square. People (and pigeons) survey the Praça 8 de Maio
scene from the terrace of the recommended...
CaféSantaCruz:
Located to the right of church, this recommended coffeehouse was
itself built as a church. It was abandoned with the dissolution of the monasteries in 1834,
when the government took possession of many grand buildings and rich public spaces. As
a café, this was the 19th-century haunt of the town's intellectuals. The altar is now used
for lectures, poetry readings, small concerts, and art exhibits (the women's restroom is in
a confessional).
• Continue past the church and the city hall (Câmara Municipal, pop in quickly for a
glance at a hilly 3-D model of Coimbra, or make an appointment across the street for free
Internet access—see “Helpful Hints,” earlier). At the noisy street, turn right, and go a
block to find a park with a fountain (once a monastery cloister and Renaissance garden)
