Coimbra and Fátima

 

We say goodbye to our hotel Lamego Hotel and Life and the town of Lamego.

We catch one last glimpse of the Our Lady of the Assumption Cathedral on the hill.

We're traveling to the southwest this morning to the university town of Coimbra.

Coimbra is the fourth largest city in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto and Braga. The city dates back to the Roman Republic (63 BC – AD 14) when it was called Aeminium.

The city sits on the banks of the Mondego River,
The two banks of Mondego River at Coimbra, are linked by three main bridges: the Ponte do Açude, the Ponte de Santa Clara (which is the oldest) and Ponte Rainha Santa, also known as Ponte Europa (in the photo above). The Ponte Pedonal de Pedro e Inês is the most recently constructed bridge and the only footbridge in the city.

Coimbra has been called A cidade dos estudantes (The city of the students) or Lusa-Atenas (Lusitan-Athens), mainly because it is the site of the oldest and one of the largest universities in Portugal – the University of Coimbra, a public university whose origins can be traced back to the 13th century. Nowadays, it has students from 70 different nationalities; almost 10% of its students are foreigners, making it Portugal's most international university.

When we arrive it is the end of months of "hazing" and also fundraising. Students sell items to help fundraise for various causes.

We walk along the street to the gate. This city definitely has a college student buzz to it.

We enter the Royal Palace which was built at the end of the 10th century, serving as a fortress for the governor of the city during Islamic rule.

In 1131, it became the first Portuguese royal household, the residence of Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal. 

In 1537, during the reign of King John III, the University was permanently relocated from Lisbon to Coimbra, having been established in this building in 1544.

We visit the Armory Room.

The narrow hallways are a bit creepy but the views outside are stunning.

Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal. 

Some of the rooms are quite ornate.

The tile work is beautiful.

We visit the cells were students who missed curfew or disobeyed the university rules of conduct were jailed.

Our next stop is the library.

The Joanina Library is an 18th -century library located in the Paço das Escolas of the University of Coimbra , in the courtyard of the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra . 

The Joanina Library houses approximately 70,000 volumes, most of which are located on the main floor. It contains the University's principal collection of Old Books (documents dating back to 1800).

It features a distinctly Baroque style and is recognized as one of the most original and spectacular European Baroque libraries. Besides being a research location for many scholars, the space is also frequently used for concerts, exhibitions, and other cultural events.

In 2013, the British newspaper The Telegraph considered the Joanina Library as "the most spectacular in the world".

On the steps of the library, our group gathers for a photo op.

We break for lunch and have some free time to walk around before meeting at the Joaquim António de Aguiar statute.

Right, the students and the Hogwarts capes. 

The black capes worn by students at the University of Coimbra, Portugal, are the real-world inspiration for the Hogwarts uniforms in the Harry Potter series. 

J.K. Rowling, who lived in Porto, was inspired by the traditional Portuguese academic outfits, known as "trajes académicos," worn by students in cities like Coimbra. This "traje académico" includes a black cape, white shirt, and tie, with a ribbon color indicating the student's field of study.

More photos from Coimbra and Fátima: CLICK HERE

On to Fátima

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