Coimbra is an ancient and important city of Portugal. It lies on the Mondego River in the Beira region, 120 km south of Porto and 195 km north of Lisbon. The city has about 100,000 inhabitants, but around half a million live in the entire metropolitan area. It is home to the oldest university of the Portuguese-speaking world, founded in 1290. In 2013 it was listed among UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It was also home to a sizable Jewish community in medieval times, making it a relatively popular spot for kosher tours. History On the Alçacova hill, the Romans founded the Aeminium. Its importance grew gradually, that it was engulfed by the nearby Conimbrigue. At that time, the city was an important point between Lisbon and Braga. In 711, the city was captured by the Moors, becoming the link between the Christian north and the Muslim south. In 878, the city was taken back, but only for a hundred years. The Muslims again took over. Finally, in 1064, the King of Castile Ferdinand the Great conquered Coimbra. In 1139 the first Portuguese king Alfonso I of Portugal decided to make Coimbra the capital of Portugal. The city retained this honor until 1256. Six Portuguese kings were born in Coimbra. Sights The center of the Lower Town is Praça do Comércio. There is a São Tiago church in one corner. Its slender facade imitates the original 12th-century building, but there is a richly decorated altar of gilded wood inside. Rua Visconde leads to the next square, Praça 8 de Maio, and to the historic Santa Cruz Church. The Rua de Sofia ("The Wisdom Street"), named after former theological faculties, is located behind the square. Only the adjacent monastery churches - Igreja do Carmo (1597) and Igreja da Graça, founded in 1543 by Jan III, were preserved here. The converted and refurbished 12th-century Arco de Almedina, next to Rua Ferreira Borges, is the gateway to the Old City. The stairs go up around the tower of Torre de Anto, whose Renaissance windows and medallions come from the sculptor Jean de Rouen. The two cathedrals, Sé Velha and Sé Nova, stand ”in the shadow“ of the university. Behind them is the main square of the Upper City, Praça da República. On the other side of Mondego is a beautiful view of old Coimbra. There are also two monasteries, Santa Clara-a-Velha and Santa Clara-a-Nova. The Sé Velha cathedral in the Romanesque style was built to celebrate the victory over the Moors in 1064. The son of the first king, Alfonso I, Sancho I, was coronated there. There is a tomb of the first Christian governor of Sisinanda, who died in 1091. In the northern side of the nave, the tomb of Byzantine don Vetaço, a companion and teacher of the wife of King Dinas, Saint Isabella, can be found. The Cathedral of Sé Nova near the University was founded by the Jesuits in 1598. Marquis de Pombal banned the Jesuit Order in 1759, but the church became the seat of the bishop soon thereafter in 1772. Sculptures of the Jesuits can be seen on the façade. One the finest sculptures by the famous Portuguese sculptor Joaquim Machado de Castro is located in the Museu Nacional Machado de Castro, a former 16th-century bishop's palace. The collection includes paintings from the 12th to the 20th centuries. It also has textiles, robes and fine porcelain. A very interesting feature is Criptoportico de Aeminium, a labyrinth of underground Roman corridors. The church and monastery of Santa Cruz was founded in 1131. Two Portuguese kings are buried there. Their magnificent tombstones were most likely carved out from marble by Chanterêne, who also eventually found his eternal rest here. The two Santa Clara-a-Velha and Santa Clara-a-Nova monasteries on the southern shore are connected with Saint Isabel and Iñes de Castro, the unfortunate lover of Pedro I, who was stabbed to death in 1355. According to the legend, a spring emerged here--the Fonta dos Amores Fountain can be seen in the Quinty das Lágrimas Garden, now a hotel. Universidade de Coimbra – the Coimbra University – was founded in 1290 by King Denis I. It was originally located in Lisbon, but moved here. It belongs to the oldest and most famous universities in the world. It stands on top of a hill in the old part of town, high above the Mondego. Several small streets leading to the university are lined by cosy pubs and bars that are visited by the university students. The main courtyard of the university is surrounded on three sides by historic buildings and a bell tower. The bell tower, the symbol of the university, is visible from anywhere in the city. The most famous of the three bells, called ”cabra“ – or ”Goat“ – has been in use since 1733. There is also the remarkable Baroque library Biblioteca Joanina, built in 1720 by King Jan V. In three gilded and richly decorated rooms, over 300,000 books written in many languages are kept. On the same side of the courtyard is the Museu de Arte Sacra and Chapel of São Miguel with its large Baroque organs. In the opposite building, there is a richly decorated aula, Sala dos Capelos, a university life center where graduations take place. Theology, law and medicine was historically studied here. Today, subjects like IT, management and economic studies are part of the curriculae.
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