Monastery of the Holy Cross

Monastery of the Holy Cross tickets: which one to buy

The Monastery of Santa Cruz stands on the Praca 8 de Maio in the lower town of Coimbra, in central Portugal, and entry to the church is free, while a small ticket covers the cloister, the sacristy and the chapter house. It is one of the most important monuments in Portugal, as the burial place of the first two kings of the country. Walking tours of Coimbra combine the monastery with the university on the hill above, the old cathedral, the Joanina Library and the streets of the old town.

Coimbra is about two hours from Lisbon and one hour from Porto by train. Next to the church, the Cafe Santa Cruz, set in a former chapel of the monastery with vaulted ceilings and stained glass, is a famous meeting place and hosts fado performances in the evenings. The cloister ticket office is inside the church on the right, near the entrance to the sacristy.

Visiting Monastery of the Holy Cross: what to see

The monastery was founded in 1131 by Augustinian canons, with the support of Afonso Henriques, who became the first king of Portugal, and it was an important centre of learning and power in the early kingdom. The present church and facade were largely rebuilt in the early sixteenth century under King Manuel I, in the Manueline style, with carvings by Diogo de Boitaca and the French sculptor Nicolau Chanterene. Inside, the chancel holds the tombs of Afonso Henriques and his son Sancho I, carved in the sixteenth century with elaborate decoration. The walls of the nave are covered with blue and white tiles, and the stone pulpit by Chanterene is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture.

The Cloister of Silence, with Manueline arches and tiles, is peaceful. The sacristy holds paintings by Portuguese masters, and the choir has carved stalls from the sixteenth century. The organ above the nave, from the eighteenth century, is richly decorated with gilded carving. The chapter house holds tombs and paintings, and the sacristy is decorated with a coffered ceiling. The azulejo panels in the nave show scenes from the life of Saint Augustine. The tombs of the kings, with their canopies and figures, are among the finest Manueline carving in Portugal. The Manueline portal of the facade, with statues of prophets and apostles, is one of the monuments of Portuguese Renaissance sculpture.

Monastery of the Holy Cross opening hours and the best time to go

The church and cloister are open daily, with shorter hours on Sundays and during services. Coimbra is lively during the university term, especially in May, when the Queima das Fitas student festival fills the city with parades and concerts. Summer is warm and quieter after the students leave. Fado performances in the Cafe Santa Cruz and other venues take place in the evenings; Coimbra fado is traditionally sung by men in student capes. Allow about forty-five minutes for the monastery, and then climb up through the old town to the university. The Rua Ferreira Borges, the main shopping street of the lower town, runs from the monastery to the river.