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Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha
Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha · Santa Clara e Castelo Viegas
building or structure in Coimbra, Portugal
Contents
8 sections · tap a section for its opening lines1Orientation
Welcome to the Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha, or the Old Monastery of Saint Clare, situated on the south bank of the Mondego River in the historic city of Coimbra. This Gothic masterpiece, founded in thirteen fourteen, tells a…
Listen in the app2The Visitor Center and the 15-Minute History
Your visit to Santa Clara-a-Velha begins at the modern visitor center, which acts as a bridge between the contemporary city and the medieval ruins. Before you descend to the archaeological site, I highly recommend watching the…
Listen in the app3The Gothic Church: A Sunken Masterpiece
We now stand before the main church of Santa Clara-a-Velha, a masterpiece of Portuguese Gothic architecture. The most striking thing you will notice is that the entire structure is located in a deep, excavated pit. …
Listen in the app4Queen Isabel and the Legend of the Roses
No visit to any site in Coimbra, and particularly to Santa Clara, is complete without discussing the 'Santa Rainha'—the Holy Queen Isabel. She was the primary supporter of this monastery and chose to live out her final years here…
Listen in the app5The Cloisters and the Everyday Life of the Nuns
Moving outside the church, we find the remains of the cloisters and the various domestic buildings where the Poor Clare nuns lived, worked, and prayed. The cloister was the heart of the monastic community, a central courtyard…
Listen in the app6The Flooding and the Abandonment
The defining tragedy and the unique preservation of Santa Clara-a-Velha is the persistent flooding of the Mondego River. From the moment it was built, the monastery was at the mercy of the water. …
Listen in the app7The 'New' vs. 'Old' Santa Clara Connection
To fully understand the story of Santa Clara-a-Velha, one must look up the hill at its successor, Santa Clara-a-Nova. The relationship between the two sites is one of continuity and relocation. …
Listen in the app8Closing
As we conclude our tour of the Mosteiro de Santa Clara-a-Velha, we are left with a profound sense of the resilience of both human spirit and architectural stone. This monastery, born from the ambition of a queen and the devotion…
Listen in the app
What is Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha?
Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha is a place in Santa Clara e Castelo Viegas with 8 story sections on Tellby. You can read the opening of each section on this page; the sound plays in the app.
| Location | Santa Clara e Castelo Viegas |
|---|---|
| Type | Heritage |
| Story sections | 8 |
| Text language | English |
| Coordinates | 40.2028, -8.4335 |
| Last updated |
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within a 5-minute walk
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