Our review of The Santa Cruz Monastery, the hidden pantheon of the first kings of Portugal
Benefits
- The spectacular Manueline façade
- The pantheon of the first two kings of Portugal
- The red organ and the blue azulejos of the nave
- The Jardim da Manga and the Café Santa Cruz right next door
Disadvantages
- Easy to miss if you don't go down to Praça 8 de Maio
- Paid entry for the church/sacristy part
A spectacular and historic monastery, pantheon of the first kings, in the heart of Baixa de Coimbra.
Here, another story of descent. Coming down from the university towards the Baixa, you emerge on Praça 8 de Maio, and there, you can’t miss a completely crazy façade: stone lace, statues, little spires topped with crosses, a real wedding cake carved from granite. It’s the church of the Santa Cruz monastery, and frankly, we didn’t expect to find something like this at the corner of a downtown square.
The hidden pantheon of the first two kings of Portugal
What you can’t guess from the outside is that this monastery is one of the most important places in all of Portuguese history. Founded in 1131, during the time of Afonso Henriques (again him, the first king of the country), it was for a long time the great intellectual hub of the kingdom, long before the university took over. The canons of Saint Augustine copied manuscripts, taught, prayed, while the rest of the country was being built all around.
But above all, it is here that the first two kings of Portugal rest: Afonso Henriques and his son Sancho I. Their tombs, redone in marble during the Renaissance at the request of King Manuel I, frame the main altar. In other words, you stumble in a bit by chance to admire some azulejos, and you find yourself just steps away from the founders of the nation. Not bad for an impromptu stop between two alleys.
Inside: the red organ and blue walls
Inside, two things catch the eye. First the large red and gold organ, perched on a swallow’s nest balcony, which stands out in the midst of the grey stone like a trumpet blast. Then, the immense blue azulejos panels that run along the nave, telling entire scenes. It’s the kind of interior that makes you look up and spin around, a bit foolishly, trying to take it all in at once without knowing where to start.
The Jardim da Manga, the former cloister turned garden
Just behind, don’t miss the Jardim da Manga, this strange yellow pavilion with a dome, connected by arches to four turrets topped with pointed roofs, all set on water basins. It’s the former cloister of the monastery, and legend has it that King John III sketched the plan on his sleeve (his “manga” in Portuguese), hence the funny name. Today it’s a small public garden, a bit worn, but still just as improbable to look at.
And right next door, the Café Santa Cruz
Little bonus for the road: attached to the church, the famous Café Santa Cruz, established since the 1920s in an old chapel of the monastery. Stained glass, vaults, stone sculptures: you can enjoy your little coffee under Gothic arches, and in the evening, the place even offers fado concerts from Coimbra. Hard to find a classier setting for a simple break.
Practical information
Where: Praça 8 de Maio, 3001-300 Coimbra (in the Baixa, at the bottom of the city).
Type: monastery and church (12th century, rebuilt in Manueline style in the 16th), national pantheon.
Must see: royal tombs, the red organ, the azulejos, the Jardim da Manga (behind) and the Café Santa Cruz (next door).
Price: small entrance fee for the church and the sacristy (to be confirmed on site); Jardim da Manga free.
Good to know: perfectly combines with the descent from the university and the Sé Velha.
Also to see in Coimbra
The rest of our stay in Coimbra (sleeping in a van, budget, where to eat, what to do around) is recounted in our complete guide to discovering Coimbra by camper van.
PS: two kings, a red organ, and a café in an old chapel, all in the same square. Coimbra, indeed, never does things by halves.
