Coimbra

Coimbra is a city and the capital of the district of Coimbra in Portugal.

About Coimbra

The city of Coimbra has a population of 150,000 inhabitants and a total of 435,000 inhabitants in its Greater Metropolitan Area (see Grande Área Metropolitana de Coimbra). Previously capital of the former Beira province, and today the Centro region capital, it is considered the third most important city of Portugal, after Lisbon and Porto, and plays a role as the chief city of the central part of the country. The city and its surrounding metropolitan area is among the biggest in Portugal. With a dense urban grid the city of Coimbra is also famous for its monuments, churches, libraries, numerous parks, gardens, nightlife and shopping facilities.

Related Topics:
Grande Área Metropolitana de Coimbra - Beira - Centro

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The Iberian soldier of fortune known as El Cid captured the city from the Moors in 1064. Since the folowing century Coimbra has been a great cultural centre, firstly due to the school founded in the Santa Cruz Monastery (1131) where Saint Anthony of Lisbon studied, and later because of the University of Coimbra founded in 1290. The university is one of the oldest in Europe and attracts students from around the world, which gives the city a special and rare atmosphere. Nowadays it has students from 70 different nationalities; almost 10% of its students are foreigners, being Portugal's most international university.

Related Topics:
Iberian - El Cid - Moors - 1064 - Santa Cruz Monastery - 1131 - Saint Anthony of Lisbon - University of Coimbra - 1290

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Coimbra is also known for the reduced child-scale buildings it has erected within one of its city parks. These buildings are scale copies of its own typical pieces of architecture and it was built in the 1950s and 1960s.

Related Topics:
1950s - 1960s

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It has a large archeological site with extensive ruins dating from the time it was a Roman town called Aeminium. The cathedral of Sé Velha, built in the 12th century in the Romanesque style, is still in operation, and it is worth to visit all the old buildings from the university dating from the 15th century through to the 18th century, the New Cathedral from the 17th century, the Monastery of Santa Cruz from the 12th century with the tombs of the two first Portuguese kings, Afonso I and his son Sancho I, and the Machado de Castro Museum, the second most important one in Portugal, after Old Art National Museum in Lisbon. The city also houses the University of Coimbra General Library, Portuguese second biggest library, after the National Library in Lisbon, and the Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra from the 18th century.

Related Topics:
Roman - Aeminium - Cathedral - 12th century - Romanesque style - 15th century - 18th century - 17th century - Monastery - Portuguese kings - Afonso I - Sancho I - Machado de Castro - University of Coimbra General Library - Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra

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