PORTUGAL : Coimbra - History

Coimbra has been a great cultural centre, firstly due to the school founded in the Santa Cruz Monastery (1131) where Saint Anthony of Lisbon studied.   Coimbra has the oldest seat of learning in Portugal with a University founded on the 13th of August in 1290 by King Dinis. Coimbra served as Portugal s capital from 1143, when Afonso Henriques settled there, until 1255 when Afonso III moved the capital to Lisbon , where it remains toda

Six of Portugal s Kings were born here and in 1139 until 1256 it was the chosen capital of the country. The original name in the Roman period was Aeminium, and it later developed under the influence of the greater nearby town of Conimbriga . It has a large archeological site with extensive ruins dating from the time it was a Roman town called Aeminium. The cathedral of Sé Velha, built in the 12th century in the Romanesque style, is still in operation, and it is worth to visit all the old buildings from the university dating from the 15th century through to the 18th century, the New Cathedral from the 17th century, the Monastery of Santa Cruz from the 12th century with the tombs of the two first Portuguese kings, Afonso I and his son Sancho I, and the Machado de Castro Museum, the second most important one in Portugal, after Old Art National Museum in Lisbon.

The city also houses the University of Coimbra General Library, Portuguese second biggest library, after the National Library in Lisbon, and the Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra from the 18th century.