In the third largest city in Portugal, Coimbra, there is a female monastery dedicated to Saint Clare. The object that we can admire today was built in the 17th and 18th centuries to replace the older one - built in the Middle Ages, located below, flooded by numerous floods from the nearby flowing river. Convento de Santa Clara-a-Nova is on the list of national monuments of Portugal.
The new building was designed by Father João Turriano, a Benedictine monk and royal engineer, and the construction work itself was under the control of the royal architect, Mateus do Couto. The monastery represents the simple mannerist style associated with 17th-century Portugal and is a true architectural pearl of the region. Particularly noteworthy is the main altar which is an example of the so-called national style, in which the tomb of Saint Queen Elizabeth, the founder of the monastery, is located.
Attractions inside
