Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova — Attraction in Coimbra

The Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova in Coimbra is a significant landmark, distinguished by its grand 17th-century Baroque architecture, which contrasts sharply with the earlier Gothic style of its predecessor, Santa Clara-a-Velha.

Its most unique and central feature is that it serves as the final resting place of Saint Queen Isabel of Aragon (Rainha Santa Isabel), the revered queen consort of King Dinis. Her magnificent silver and crystal tomb, a masterpiece of Baroque art, was meticulously relocated here from the flooded old monastery, making this new complex the heart of her veneration and an important pilgrimage site.

The monastery's elevated position offers commanding views over Coimbra and the Mondego River. Its impressive church and spacious cloisters reflect the prosperity and spiritual devotion of the time of its construction. This combination of grand Baroque design, its role as the shrine of a beloved queen, and its strategic location overlooking the city makes Santa Clara-a-Nova a uniquely important spiritual and architectural...

We visited this monastery at the end of our day trip to Coimbra and found it absolutely worth!

(However the director of this place should be deeply ashamed: we discovered the ruins while crossing by foot the bridge coming from Coimbra and were interested to visit it, but were completely lost as to where the entrance was. There is absolutely no indication whatsoever to where the entrance is or how you have to walk to it. In the end we discovered it because we persevered and crossed what looked like a private parking to find the entrance. The lady at the info desk confirmed that throughout the day she sees many visitors accross looking for the entrance and giving up. Despite this, the director refuses to put additional arrows or indicators. Duh!)

Beautiful to walk around and to take great...

Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova

Type: Monastery Time spent: 20-25 min Parking: available Bike parking: not available Entrance: paid WC: available

The Monastery of Santa Clara of Coimbra was founded in the early 14th century near the river Mondego by Queen Elizabeth of Portugal, wife of King Dinis I.

Through the centuries, the church and monastic buildings were repeatedly flooded by the Mondego. In the 17th century, under the rule of King John IV, it was decided that a new monastery was to be built for the religious community. Construction works began in 1649, and the church was finished by 1696. All nuns as well as the Gothic tombs of Queen Elizabeth and other royal princesses were transferred to the new monastery, therefore called "Santa...