Three Awe-Inspiring Weeks in Portugal (Part 9): Coimbra and the Sé Velha (Old Cathedral)

In my continuing series of photographs from my three week trip to Portugal back in December 2022 – January 2023 (and yes, I know we’re in June), we leave the imposing Mosteiro de Alcobaça behind and drive about an hour and 15 minutes northeast to our next stop, the city of Coimbra.

Birthplace of six kings and the seat of Portugal’s first university, Coimbra was once the proud capital of Portugal (from 1131 to 1255) before power was subsequently transferred to Lisbon in the 13th century. And remember the doomed Inês de Castro from my last post? Mistress of the crown prince Pedro with whom she had four children? It was here in Coimbra that she was murdered by Pedro’s father, King Afonso IV.

We arrived on the evening of December 18th and checked into our hotel, the Hotel Vitória, located in the historical center of Coimbra. It was already raining when we arrived and my itinerary for the following day included the Old Cathedral of Coimbra and the University of Coimbra. The historical university, the oldest in Portugal and one of the oldest in Europe (it was founded in 1290!), was classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2013.

Alas, the rain in Coimbra kept us from visiting the university and our other (if time allowed) attractions, the Machado de Castro National Museum and the Igreja de Santa Cruz. We did manage to make our way to the Romanesque Sé Velha (Old Cathedral), about a 7 minute walk (again, up and down hills and stairs) from our hotel. Coimbra’s first cathedral is called “Old” (“Velha”) because a newer church (Sé Nova) was made as the city’s second cathedral in the 18th century. The rain, however, only allowed us time to visit the old cathedral.

We saw a few of Coimbra’s other attractions along the way…

The Arco de Almedina (“Almedina” is derived from the Arabic word for “town”) is a relic of Coimbra’s Moorish town walls that permitted entrance to the citadel. The oldest part of the structure dates from around the 9th century and originally consisted of a pair of turrets linked by an arch. It was greatly altered and restored in the 12th century.

The “Tricana de Coimbra” is a bronze sculpture by artist Andre Alves that sits along Coimbra’s famed Rua Quebra Costastatue. “Tricana” is a term used to describe the women of the old town of Coimbra, who used to regularly go to the river to wash clothes and fill water jugs, that they later brought up the hill to their homes.

The Arco de Barbacã, added in the 16th century, is the best kept structure of the ancient Coimbra’s wall, which corresponded to the main entrance in the city during the Islamic period. On the arch is the sculpture of our Lady, the national arms and the symbol of the city foundation.

Coimbra’s bustling Rua Ferreira Borges

From our hotel, we had to climb the the infamous Escadas do Quebra Costas to get to the Old Cathedral. When you get to the top (and catch your breath) you’ll be face-to-face with the entrance to the cathedral.

Sé Velha (Old Cathedral)

Construction of the Santa Maria de Coimbra Cathedral began in 1164(!) by order of Bishop Miguel Salomão. It was consecrated in 1184, despite the rest of the building not yet being finished. The second Portuguese king, D. Sancho I, was crowned there in 1185. It is the only Portuguese Romanesque cathedral from the time of the Reconquest, which survives relatively intact to this day.

On the north side is a remarkable Renaissance door – the Porta Especiosa – which consists of a porch, balcony and niches richly decorated with balusters and statues. This three-story portal was the work of French sculptor João of Rouen, an industrious sculptor and architect of French origin active in Portugal between approximately 1528 and 1580

There was quite a bit of street construction going on outside the west façade and main entrance to the cathedral, and with the rain, it was a bit treacherous making our way inside. Tickets are only €2.50 but CASH ONLY(!) Should you not have any cash with you (like we did), you’re gonna have to go back down the stairs of Escadas do Quebra Costas, locate an ATM on Rua Ferreira Borges, then go back up the stairs, catch your breath again (all the while trying really hard not to curse a house of God), then will your aching legs up the shorter flight of stairs to the entrance and then try really hard not to slam a crisp €10 bill on the ticket counter and yell, “Keep the change!!!” (I managed, but barely).

Inside, very little has changed over the centuries. Only tiles brought from Seville in 1503, Gothic altarpieces, and baroque paintings were added over time, with the highlight being the chancel’s extraordinary gilded Gothic altarpiece created by Flemish sculptors Olivier de Gand and Jean d’Ypres in the early 1500s.

Equally stunning is the Retábulo da capela Santíssimo (Chapel of the Holy Sacrament), 1566, by João de Ruão

Assorted artwork and tombs line the interior of the cathedral…

Tomb of Vataça Láscaris, 1336, surrounded by double-headed eagles, symbol of Byzantine nobility

Tomb of the first Count of Coimbra and military leader of the Reconquista, the Mozarab Sisnando Davides

The cloister started being erected in 1218, during the reign of D. Afonso II, being one of the first Gothic works built in Portugal. Larger than normal, it was necessary to destroy a part of the hillside for its construction.

Coimbra’s Old Cathedral afforded us a place to wait out the rain for a few hours. After 58 straight(!) rainout-free international travel days, rain (or the threat of rain) was present almost every day of our trip. Unusually heavy rain storms had battered Portugal for a few weeks before our arrival, even flooding parts of Lisbon, with the government of Lisbon district urging people to stay indoors. The rain in Coimbra kept us from seeing the University but it ended up being the only attraction on my very detailed itinerary that I had to skip because of inclement weather.

And despite cursing the rain clouds that I saw forming almost every morning when I looked out my hotel window, the constant cloud cover ended up being a blessing when I got back home to edit the several hundred photographs I snapped. Rarely did I have to deal with bright, midday sunshine and the harsh shadows they create. So despite having to wait out a passing shower throughout our trip, the weather only kept us from one attraction. Still lucky, I guess.

After our brief stop in Coimbra, we got ready to drive to our next city, the second largest city in Portugal, Porto. So, SUBSCRIBE HERE to not miss it…

Photographs taken with the Sony a7RIII using the travel friendly Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G lens, Tamron 17-28mm f/2.8 lens, Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 lens, Samyang 14mm f/2.8 lens and, in some cases, the very capable iPhone 13 Pro

Planning a trip to Portugal? Check out visitportugal.com

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