During my exploratory trip to Portugal in May, I stayed for a few days in Coimbra.
The town interested me because of the University of Coimbra and how its presence affected the culture and energy of the area. Considering it might be a good location to settle, I decided to take a look.
The University of Coimbra (Universidade de Coimbra) is a public university and was established in 1290 in Lisbon. It went through several relocations until it was moved permanently to Coimbra in 1537. It is the oldest university in Portugal and is classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The buildings are beautiful and I was able to see their historical library the Biblioteca Joanina, and the former Moorish Royal Palace of Alcacova which was built over 900 years ago and was the original component of the campus.
In the former palace is the Sala Grande dos Actos (the Great Hall of Acts), formerly the Throne Room built during the 17th century, where doctoral students defend their dissertations and formal ceremonies take place.
My favorite place on the campus is the historical library.
On the ground floor are beautifully created groin vault ceilings finished with hand hammered small rectangular stones. The ceiling has the appearance of a basket weave.
On the second floor is the main library. I was not allowed to take photos of this spectacular space so I am including two photos that depict what I saw.
My next stop on my tour was São Miguel Chapel (Saint Michael’s Chapel). It is in the same complex as the library.
More to follow.
-Dora TaylorAdvertisements
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seattleducation2010December 17, 2019Coimbra, University of CoimbraEdit
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