The Monastery of Santa Cruz de Coimbra was founded in 1131 by Arcediago D. Telo, with the protection of D. Afonso Henriques, The Monastery of Santa Cruz follows the rule of the Canons Ruling Saint Augustine. The Romanesque building was located outside the city walls, and its design would be a church with a façade tower, with defensive skills. The work was developed between 1132-1223. Here, an educational institution of the best in Portugal was developed, thanks to its vast library, supported by its active “scriptorium” (a place where monks who copied documents and created books) worked. It was here that Fernando Martins de Bulhões (Santo António) studied. In the reign of D. Manuel, the monastery is reformed. Bishop D. Vaz Vaz Gavião who would have accompanied D. Manuel to Santiago de Compostela in 1502 is named prior to the monastery, and begins the renovation campaign. Jacques Boytac who works in Portugal (Jerónimos, Torre de Belém, Convento de Jesus de Setúbal) since 1492 is the master, and organizes the new church with a single nave of vertical volume that connects with the side chapels.
Between 1518-22 the Manueline cloister is finished, now under the orders of the master Marcos Pires, Boytac is "Master of the Works of the Kingdom" and leaves for Arzila where he tries to redo the defenses of that North African stronghold. D. Manuel intends to exalt the first Kings of Portugal, changing the tombs of the old cloister, to the chancel, in two tombs of the highest quality, designed by Nicolau Chanterene and Diogo de Castilho, and sculpted by the same team that worked on the Jerónimos portals. , is also the work of the same team of artists. The beauty of this facade lies in the solution of using the clear tone of the Stone of Ançã for the axial Portal, highlighting it and highlighting it in contrast to the yellow tone of the limestone facade of the area of Bordalo.
Single nave of great height and flat vaults supported by corbels. The Monastery of Santa Cruz de Coimbra was founded in 1131 by Arcediago D. Telo, with the protection of D. Afonso Henriques, The Monastery of Santa Cruz follows the rule of the Cano...
Rectangular space built (1507-1518) by master Jacques Boytac during the Manueline campaign on the primitive Romanesque, polygonal and smaller chapel. The cross-ribbed vault has the central closing stones with the emblem of King Manuel (Royal shiel...
Jesus Chapel with the tomb of D. João de Noronha, designed by Jacques Boytac, but due to Boytac's move to North Africa and other works, it was built by the master Marcos Pires between 1518 and 1522. The vaults are ribbed and filled with the keys, ...
This church space (side chapels on the side of the epistle), due to its current configuration, is a living document of all the constructive interventions in this monastery. The stones, vaults, closed spans and arches that we see here express this....
In the reign of D. Manuel, the monastery is reformed. Bishop D. Vaz Vaz Gavião who would have accompanied D. Manuel to Santiago de Compostela in 1502 is named prior to the monastery, and begins the renovation campaign. Jacques Boytac who works in ...
Sacristy built in 1622. The authorship has been attributed to Pedro Nunes Tinoco, architect who attended the Paços da Ribeira Class in Lisbon, where he studied with the Italian Architect Filipe Terzi. His projects are within the Italian line of th...
The chapter room is from the time of D. Manuel and prior D. Pedro Gavião (1507-16), and occupies the space left by the roman chapter room. The project is by Master Boytac, and follows the same style as the nave, with high ceilings and ribbed vault...
Casa do Lavabo, attributed to Pedro Nunes Tinoco, in 1620-22. The walls are covered with 17th century tiles. Casa do Lavabo, attributed to Pedro Nunes Tinoco, in 1620-22. The walls are covered with 17th century tiles
Rectangular space with high ceilings (measured in plan and converted to Vitruvian measures, probably 2 x width 12p = 24p; the equivalent of 7.1m) arising from the construction of the mannerist sacristy, giving access to the staircase that served t...
In the reign of D. Manuel, the monastery is reformed. Bishop D. Vaz Vaz Gavião who would have accompanied D. Manuel to Santiago de Compostela in 1502 is named prior to the monastery, and begins the renovation campaign. Jacques Boytac who works in ...
The Manueline cloister that we see today occupies the position of the first Roman cloister in 1228. Although it was designed by Boytac during the 1507-18 construction campaign, it was executed and completed in 1520 by the master Marcos Pires. It i...
On the north wall we see a chapel from the middle of the 16th century, Renaissance, with double arch, vault of cradle with small boxes decorated with alternating flowers. Inside, an image of the Virgin that was sculpted by João de Ruão for the cen...
Paio Guterres, was a medieval knight linked to the formation of the kingdom, to D. Afonso Henriques and to the religious houses of Saint Augustine. This fountain dedicated to this figure linked to the foundation of Portugal is in the southeastern ...
