The Romans founded the civitas of Aeminium in this place at the time of Augustus, which came under the protection of nearby Conimbriga situated some 15 km away to the south.

Cryptoporticus of the ancient forum of Aeminium, under the Machado de Castro Museum.

The remains of this distant past, the Cryptoporticus, can be visited on the lower floors of the museum.

The Roman city was encircled by a wall, and followed an orthogonal plan, with the cardo maximus and decumanus maximus crossing at the Forum. An aqueduct existed, the remains of which were incorporated into a latter medieval renovation. Locations for the theater and amphitheater were also proposed, but still unconfirmed by archeology. A triumphal arch is documented, but was destroyed in 1778. Also a necropolis was located to the east of the city.

The Sueves razed the nearby township of Conimbriga in 468. Its inhabitants, who had meanwhile fled to Aeminium, kept the original name of their town.

In modern Coimbra there are few remains from ancient Aeminium. The most important is the cryptoporticus, an underground gallery of arched corridors built in the 1st or 2nd century AD to support the forum of the city. Gaius Sevius Lupus was probably the architect. During the Middle Ages the bishop’s palace, now turned into the Machado de Castro Museum, was built over the forum; the cryptoporticus is located under it. The cryptoporticus can be visited through the museum.

s works of the temple were initiated before the year 957, as evidenced by a document where this is donated to Lorvão Monastery. It was rebuilt in the last decades of the twelfth century, in an unknown date in the reign of Sancho I of Portugal. Its ordination occurred in 1206, but it is believed that the articles are still be extended for several years. At least two constructive campaigns in the Romanesque style, were made at that time.

Outside the church stand out from the major portals and south side, valuable works to understand the Romanesque Coimbra. The main portal of four archivolts, it seems later and with the participation of high artistry artists together with other less talent. Here the capitals contains a number of reasons, both vegetal and animal, some derived from the Old Cathedral of Coimbra, as the reason of facing birds. The columns of the main entrance are also profusely decorated with geometric reliefs shaped spiral and plant motifs. The elegant south portal probably belongs to the late twelfth century, consisting of several archivolts without decoration, surrounded by a frame-shaped vine, capitals and columns with plant motifs.

Church of Santiago: the south portal detail.
The interior of the church has three naves and three chapels at the head. In the fifteenth century was added, north side of the church one quadrangular chapel, with a portal in Gothic style with an interesting alfiz decorated.

Although it has undergone several changes over the centuries, the most radical intervention took place in the sixteenth century when it was built a second church on the early church, to serve as the city’s Mercy Church. This addition, built in the 1540s, was removed in the restoration work of the first half of the twentieth century.

An important mutilation of the church occurred in 1861, when the enlargement of the current street Visconde da Luz. In this work was lost much of southern and main chapel absidíolo.

More information: http://www.portugaldospequenitos.pt/en/

The museum was founded in 1962, and also manages the ruins of the city which was inhabited between centuries IX and VII BC-VIII AD The Romans came here in the first century BC, finding a thriving village, but soon introduced their civilization in the region and the city entered a new phase of growth, which continued until the barbarian invasions of the fifth century, coming from then decline. The archaeological site of the ruins is a national monument in 1910. The museum preserves a diverse collection, spread over 31 thematic groups, including statuary, decorative fragments and everyday objects.

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Conímbriga is one of the 10 best Roman ruins outside Rome.

Conímbriga is a walled urban settlement, encircled by a curtain of stone structures approximately 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) long. Entrance to the settlement is made from vaulted structures consisting of two doors (one on hinges), and at one time was defended by two towers. The walls are paralleled by two passages, channelled to excavations, in order to remove water infiltration from the walls. The urban settlement consists of various structures such as a forum, basilica and commercial shops, thermal spas, aqueducts, insulae, homes of various heights (including interior patios) and domus (such as the Casa dos Repuxos and Casa de Cantaber), in addition to paleo-Christian basilica.

Conimbriga is one of the few Roman cities which retains the outer wall, approximately triangular plant. The north-south stretch of walls divides the city into two zones. Particularly notable for the plant and the richness of the mosaics that pave is the major urban villa with central peristyle, the northern route. When working with the South wall was discovered a large building whose purpose would be public spa, with its characteristic divisions.

A visitors’ centre (which includes restaurant/café and gift-shop) was constructed to display objects found by archaeologists during their excavations, including coins, surgical tools, utensils and ceramics.

During the reign of King Manuel (1519), the king ordered the inscriptions on the facade of the Church of Condeixa-a-Nova.

In the 18th century, Conímbriga was first referred to in parochial documents, resulting in the 1869 visit by Hubner to the site. In 1873, the Instituto de Coimbra (Coimbra Institute) was created, in addition to the formation of a museum dedicated to archaeology, instigating the first formal excavations at Conímbriga in 1873. Mosaics were removed from the uncovered homes and the first excavations were made in 1899, resulting in the plan for the oppidum.

In 1911, the Coimbra Institute ceded its collection to the Museum Machado de Castro, resulting in the beginnings of the studies by Augusto Filipe Simões and António Augusto Gonçalves.

On the occasion of the 11th International Congress on Archaeology and Pre-History (1930) in Portugal, the state acquired the first lands and official excavations on the site.^[1]At the time of this congress the eastern gates to the city were unobstructed. The following year the DGEMN started the work of reconstructing and consolidating the ruins, which were continued in 1955.

In 1956, there were archaeological studies of Oppidum Romano, by the Serviços dos Monumentos Nacionais (National Monument Service). New excavations occurred in 1964.

In 1962, the Museu Monográfico de Conímbriga (Conímbriga Monographic Museum) was inaugurated. It was followed in 1964 by the collaboration between this museum and the archaeological mission from the University of Bordeaux: under the direction of J. Bairrão Oleiro, Robert Étienne and Jorge de Alarcão, the centre of the Roman city was unearthed.

In 1970, the work with the mosaics was consolidated, at a time when the monograph museum was expanded (with a basement, installations for a guard and interior shelter).^[1]But, throughout the transition to Portuguese democracy and beyond, the team at Conímbriga attempted to consolidate and maintain the site.^[1] The early work continued into 1974, with the consolidation, restoration and expansion of the museum and 1975, with the prospecting into other zones, the paving of walkways, landscaping and solutions to drainage issues. In 1976, the gazebo and interior of the older Monographic Museum was repaired.^[1] These repairs continued into 1977, with expansion of the museum, restoration of the facades, the old portico and the colonnade was transformed into an internal gallery, the arrangement of the principal atrium and creating a gutters to alleviate pedestrian walkways.^[1] The following year began the construction of a ticket booth in cement and glass, while in 1979 an electrical transformer and litter incineration unit was installed. The installation of electrical devices, illumination and climate control units in the museum only occurred between 1981 and 1982.^[1] In 1986 a new awning was installed to cover the Casa dos Repuxos.

The first permanent public exposition was opened in April 1985.

During the 1990s, there were projects to remodel the museum and upgrade the displays and various installations to support visitors, under the direction of Cruz Alarcão, Arquitectos Lda.^[1] They were re-contracted between 2004-2005 to improve the site, including the reconstruction of the Augustian forum and southern thermal spas, construction of a small structure for spectacles (consisting of a roadway, stage and bunks molded to the terrain), alongside the aqueduct.^[1] On 9 August 1991, the museum became part of the Instituto Português de Museus (Portuguese Institute for Museums), leading to the 1 June 1992 transfer to the Instituto Português do Património Arquitetónico (IPPAR), and then on 29 March 2007, the Instituto dos Museus e Conservação (Institute for Museums and Conservation).

The excavation site and visitors’ centre is located on the outskirts of the rural community of Condeixa-a-Nova, based on a plateau-shaped triangular spur over two deep depressions (one occupied by the Ribeira dos Mouros).

Although Conimbriga was not the largest Roman city in Portugal, it is the best preserved, with archaeologists estimating that only 10 percent of the city has been excavated.

The urbanized civitas includes integrated structures starting from the Iron Age and extending to the 5th century. There were specifically three phases of spatial organization: in the 1st century BC, under the reign of Augustus, a late republican forum (that included crypto-portico, basilica, curia and commercial shops), thermal baths, a aqueduct and the first residential pre-Roman architectural structures; a 1st century AD group, established under Flavius, that included a reconstructed imperial forum, Vitruvian baths and revised urban plan; and a 3rd century, settlement that fell within revised walls.

The civil/residential buildings included numerous examples of remodeled and reused structures dating from the first century BC. Most of these homes were insulae (houses with more than one floor), with open patio/courtyards and domus with peristyle (such as the Casa dos Repuxos and Casa de Cantaber). Most of the private/civil architecture and public buildings included abundant decorative materials, including mosaics, sculptures and painted murals.

Of the Suebic occupation, there is a paleo-Christian basilica (5th-6th century), which was a reused and transformed domus. The robust, rustic 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) walls imply an urgency in its construction.^[3] Its was built using large, carved, irregular blocks, with most coming from other constructions. The height of the walls vary from 5 metres (16 ft) to 6.5 metres (21 ft), suggesting the significance of its military feasibility.

There are three distinct baths within the walls: the Great Southern Baths, the Baths of the Wall, and the Baths of the Aqueduct. The network of stone heating ducts under the (now-missing) floors are the most distinct structures in the Roman baths.

The amphitheatre, dating from the end of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, takes advantage of a natural depression that surrounded the city to the north. The first was identified in 1993 by Virgílio H. Correia, and excavations began in 2012-2013. Part of the amphitheatre was located below local homes in Condeixa-a-Nova, consisting of three entranceways to the Roman structure.  The 5000-capacity monument was 90 by 60 by 20 metres (295 × 197 × 66 ft), and 4 metres (13 ft) underground, with some rural homes built using part of the structure.

The Luso-French mission (1965-1968) unearthed public structures of great dimensions, whose architecture was reconstructed. This included two phases, where the first structures can not be reconstructed with certainty. These Flavian monuments coincide with the location of some important elements, such as the central square.

The Monastery of Santa Clara of Coimbra was founded in the 1280s by Mor Dias as a house of the Order of the Poor Clares. This early monastery was dissolved in 1311, but in 1314 it was refounded by Queen Isabel, wife of King Dinis I. Queen Isabel was admired for her pious and charitable nature, and her fame led to her canonisation in 1626. The palace of the Queen, of which only ruins remain, was located near the monastery.

The works sponsored by the Queen started in 1316 on the same spot of the previous foundation and gave rise to the ensemble that exists today. The first architect associated with the monastery was Domingos Domingues, who had worked on the cloisters of theMonastery of Alcobaça. His work was continued after 1326 by Estêvão Domingues, who had worked on the cloisters of Lisbon Cathedral. The church was consecrated in 1330 and shows the influence of the Alcobaça building in its floorplan and many other architectural details. Queen Isabel died in 1336 and was buried in the monastery in an impressive Gothic tomb. A large cloister was built to the south side of the church within the same 14th century.

Already in 1331 the monastery and church were flooded by the nearby Mondego River. The site of the foundation proved to be unsuitable, as the monastery was repeatedly invaded by the waters of the river in the following centuries. The sisters of the monastery responded by elevating the floor levels of the monastic buildings to reduce the damage caused by the floods. In spite of the problems, the monastery was frequently enriched by donations. In the early 16th century, under King Manuel I, the church was decorated with Sevillian tiles and several painted altarpieces.

Around 1612, as the river flooded the monastery every year, the nuns built an elevated pavement in the church half way to the roof. Finally, in 1647, as the frequent floods made life in the monastery impossible, King John IV ordered the nuns to abandon the structure. The last nuns left the ensemble in 1677, as a new monastery, called Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova (Santa Clara the New) was built on a hill nearby. The Gothic tombs of Queen Isabel and other royal princesses were transferred to the new building.

As the centuries passed, the old monastery fell into ruin and became partially covered by the mud and water of the Mondego. Its historical and architectural importance led to it being declared a National Monument in 1910, and some conservation works were done in the first half of the 20th century. After 1995, a large archaeological campaign by theInstituto Português do Património Arquitectónico removed the mud and water from the ruins, which were found to be in a remarkable good state of conservation. The excavations allowed for the recovery of a large number of architectural and decorative fragments and a better understanding of the monastery plan. In 2006 the building of an interpretation centre and new tours were announced. This phase of the project, whose cost was estimated at 27 million euro, was completed in April 2009.

Ruins

The floorplan of the church of the Monastery of Santa Clara reveals the influence of the Monastery of Alcobaça. The church nave has a nave and two aisles and is fully covered with stone vaulting, something rare in mendicant monastic foundations in Portugal, which usually used wooden roofs over the nave. Another influence of Alcobaça is seen in the vault types: pointed barrel vault in the nave and groin vault in the side aisles. The structure of the columns of the nave also resembles Alcobaça. The nave is illuminated by tallmullioned windows of Gothic design and three rose windows. Unlike Alcobaça, the church of Santa Clara lacks a prominent transept.

The nave used to be divided in two parts, one of public access and the other reserved for the nuns, separated by a dividing wall. An elevated choir, now lost, used to house Queen Isabel’s tomb. The apse of the church has three chapels of polygonal shape, the central chapel being the largest. The central chapel has lost its stone roof and used to be illuminated by three windows.

A portal on the South façade of the church connects it with the cloister ruins, which have been preserved up to the level of the double columns of the arches. The capitals are decorated with vegetable motifs. Also visible are the remains of a Gothic fountain with a circular basin.

The excavations also revealed the foundations of the chapter house, refectory, a smaller cloister and the old Palace of Queen Isabel.

Artwork

During the centuries the monastery and church were decorated with religious works of art that are now dispersed. The Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova, to which the nuns were relocated in the 17th century, houses three Gothic tombs which were also relocated from Santa Clara-a-Velha, including that of Queen Isabel. Her tomb, dated from circa 1330, displays her full-size recumbent figure over the lid and is by Aragonesesculptor Mestre Pero.

Many works of art of the monastery are now in the Machado de Castro Museum in Coimbra. Painted altarpieces include a triptych [1] of circa 1486 about the life of Clare of Assisi and a painted triptych commissioned to Flemish painter Quentin Metsys in 1517. Others pieces of sculpture [3] and metalwork [4] in the museum testify to the wealth and prestige of the monastery.

Nothing remains of the early Romanesque monastery. It is known that it had only one nave and a high tower in the façade, as typical of the Augustinian-Romanesque constructions, but none of those elements subsisted. In the first half of the 16th century, the Monastery was completely renovated by King Manuel’s order, this monarch having assumed the Monastery tutelage.

The whole monastic complex, the church and the tombs of King Afonso Henriques and of his successor, King Sancho I, were rearranged and transferred to the main-chapel in 1530, where they still lie in a sculptural work by Nicolau Chanterene. The architect Diogo Boitacwas responsible for the layout of the Manueline church and the Chapter house with its basket-handled and ribbed ceilings. Marco Pires gave continuity to the work, with the completion of the church, the Capela de São Miguel (St. Michael’s Chapel) and the Claustro do Silêncio (Cloister of Silence). The main portal, built between 1522 and 1525 under Chanterene, is the most emblematic piece of the whole monastic ensemble, harmonising the artistic elements of the Manueline with other features from Renaissance inspiration.

Through the whole 16th century, worked at Santa Cruz de Coimbra the most respected architects, sculptors and painters, such as Diogo de Castilho, Machim and Jean of Rouen, Cristóvão de Figueiredo and Vasco Fernandes besides the already mentioned Chanterene, Boytac and Diogo Pires the Younger. The sacristy dates back to the 17th century and keeps some notable 16th century canvases.

Saint Anthony of Lisbon was a member of the community of canons regular, and after his ordination, he was placed in charge of hospitality for the monastery. It was in this capacity that he welcomed the remains of the Franciscan protomartyrs, whose remains were being transported back to Assisi, after their deaths in Morocco. This led to his decision to leave the security and ease of the life of a canon for that of the newly founded Franciscans.

The Monastery of Santa Clara of Coimbra was founded in the early 14th century near the river Mondego by Queen Elizabeth of Portugal, wife of King Dinis I. The queen was greatly admired during and after her life for her pious and generous nature, and was canonised in the 17th century.

Through the centuries, the church and monastic buildings were repeatedly flooded by the Mondego. In the 17th century, under the rule of King John IV, it was decided that a new monastery was to be built for the religious community. Construction works began in 1649, and the church was finished by 1696. All nuns as well as the Gothic tombs of Queen Elizabeth and other royal princesses were transferred to the new monastery, therefore called “Santa Clara-a-Nova” (Saint Clare-the-New).

The project of the monastery was entrusted to Father João Turriano, a benedictine monk and royal engineer, who conceived the ensemble in the simple Mannerist style of 17th-century Portugal. Construction works were led by royal architect Mateus do Couto. The church, consecrated in 1696, is of rectangular floorplan, has a single-aisled nave and lacks atransept. The interior is illuminated by a series of (clerestory) windows located on the second storey of the nave.

The two painted Gothic tombs, painted tombs are a rarity

The side chapels and main chapel house a total of 14 altarpieces of gilt carved woodwork (talha dourada) in late 17th-century style. The main altarpiece, in particular, is an outstanding example of the so-called “national” style (estilo nacional). This altarpiece incorporates the tomb of the Saint Queen Elizabeth, founder of the monastery, made of silver and crystal, entrusted in 1614 to the artists Domingos Lopes and Manuel Moreira. The statue of Queen Saint Elizabeth is a 19th-century work by sculptor António Teixeira Lopes.

The main portal to the church, decorated with the royal coat of arms held by two angels, is located at the south façade, as was typical for convents of religious sisters in Portugal. The gate of the convent is a late Baroque work of 1761 attributed to Hungarian architect Carlos Mardel. Mardel is also credited with the design of at least part of the two-storey cloisters of the convent, a masterpiece of Portuguese Baroque architecture.

Orfeon Académico de Coimbra, the oldest and most famous academic choir in Portugal, an autonomous organization of the students’ union Associação Académica de Coimbra, established in 1880 by a law student of the University of Coimbra (UC), and the fado section of UC’s Associação Académica de Coimbra itself, are important organizations in Coimbra fado promotion and preservation.

According to tradition, to applaud fado in Lisbon one would clap his hands, while in Coimbra cough as if clearing the throat is the typical way.

Fado ao Centro® is a Cultural Center committed to promote Fado from Coimbra, with daily LIVE concerts at 6:00 pm.

A magical space with a unique atmosphere were you can find the most genuine and traditional Fado from Coimbra everyday from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm

Only the best musicians of the city play in the center and Fado They are selected According to the highest standards of this 160 year old tradition.

Even if you can not witness the concert, do not miss the oportunity to visit our space and get to know a little bit more about Fado from Coimbra. There are always musicians playing and rehearsing so you can change experiences and learn more about the Portuguese Guitar and this unique musical tradition.

Bewtween 4:00 pm and 5:30 pm we have the “Afternoon Rehearsals” with our regular musicians. You can always pass by, watch and play Them que anyone want’s to bring Their Own instrument is welcome to join Also!

At 6:00 pm we start our daily 50 minute long concert of Fado from Coimbra. If you are interested in Attending our concert, we strongly advise you to make a reservation in order to Ensure your seat.

Do we not serving any kind of food, so we are totally committed to the concert itself, enabling the genuine atmosphere and cultural and musical experience unique in Coimbra!

Following the work que Has Been held by this Cultural Association, you’ll find different exclusive editions of books, CDs and DVDs related to Fado from Coimbra. Fado is the Centro®, Undoubtedly, the place to visit in Coimbra!

More information: http://www.fadoaocentro.com/en

The Machado de Castro Museum is one of the most important art museums in Portugal. It is housed in the former Palacio do Bispo, Bishop’s Palace. This palace was built from the Middle Ages onwards roughly on the site where the Roman forum of Aeminium (Coimbra’s roman name) once stood. The remains of this distant past, the Cryptoporticus, can be visited on the lower floors of the museum.

The bulk of the museum’s collection is made up of items from churches and religious institutions in the area surrounding Coimbra. The collections of sculpture (the most extensive of all the national museums of Portugal), painting, precious metals, ceramics and textiles are especially noteworthy.

More finormation: http://www.museumachadocastro.pt/