Exploring Portugal: Alcobaça

Whilst in central Portugal, one of things I really wanted to see was the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça. As we were heading south to Óbidos, we figured we could squeeze in a short stop-off.

The weather changed en-route and by the time we reached Alcobaça, rain was falling heavily. As a result, first impressions were poor – a huge monstrosity standing sulkily surveying the rain-soaked streets. After the loveliness of Batalha, Alcobaça felt like a letdown. But we were there so it made sense to at least see it, if only to escape the grey day.

An uninspiring view

The church and monastery of Alcobaça were the first Gothic buildings in Portugal. The complex was founded in 1153 by King Afonso I of Portugal, more commonly known as Dom Afonso Henriques, (r. 1139-1185). It was a gift to Bernard of Clairvaux, a leading figure in the reforming Cistercian order, to commemorate his victory over the Moors at Santarém in 1147.

By the time building work commenced in 1178, Bernard had long since died. The Cistercian monks eventually moved into the monastery buildings in 1223, and work was finally completed in 1252 during the reign of Afonso I's great-grandson, Afonso III (r. 1248-1279). It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1989.

Looking down the nave

The 20m high nave

Simple and elegant window

In the transept lie the tombs of King Pedro I (r. 1357-1367) and his mistress, Inês de Castro, who was assassinated in 1355 on the orders of Pedro's father, King Afonso IV (r. 1325-1357). When Pedro became king, he had her remains exhumed and transferred to Alcobaça where she was posthumously recognised as Queen of Portugal. Legend has it that he forced the court to swear allegiance to their new queen by kissing her decomposing hand.

The tomb of King Pedro I

Detail of the tomb

Our wanderings took us through the beautiful two-storey Claustro do Silencio (Cloister of Silence), which was a gift from King Dinis I (r. 1279-1325). The lower storey dates from the early 14th century, while the upper storey was added a little later.

Entering the Cloister of Silence

The bright and spacious walkway

Looking out to the cloister

From there we found our way to the monks' living quarters, the most interesting of which were the huge refectory and the monks' dormitory, a large bright but no doubt cold space. The windows overlooked a second, much larger but less attractive cloister.

The former refectory

The monks' dormitory

The second cloister

By now the weather had improved somewhat and, keen to get to Óbidos, we hurried through the long, cold corridors and back into the main square. We allowed just enough time to grab a few shots of the exterior before we jumped back in the car and headed south...

The façade with its 13th century rose window and its 18th century towers