Mosteiro de Alcobaça
16 images 1 contributors Shoot with care
Sue Wolfe
Shoot with care
Dress appropriately and be mindful of those around you that may be praying.
About this spot
The Mosteiro de Alcobaça (aw.ko.ba.sa) was a gift from Afonso I to the Cistercians in recognition of their support in defeating the Moors. Construction began in 1178 and the monastery was officially completed in 1252. It is one of the earliest examples of Gothic architecture in Portugal. The Cloister of Silence was completed in 1311.
The Cistercian monks were dedicated to literature. The library at Alcobaça was one of the largest medieval libraries until it was pillaged by the French in 1810. Many of the books were stolen in 1834 when religious orders were dissolved. The remnants of the library are now kept in the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal in Lisbon.
The monastery was very influential in the Middle Ages and several kings are buried there—Afonso II and Urraca, Afonso III and Beatrice, and King Pedro I and his mistress Inês de Castro.
Back story of Inês—Prince Pedro was married to Constanza of Castile but fell in love with Inês when she came to court as a lady-in-waiting. King Afonso caught wind of the affair and banished Inês to a faraway castle. Within a year Constanza died and Pedro brought Inês back declaring his love for her. After several attempts to keep them apart, Pedro and Inês ran away and started a family. Fearing the throne would be lost to outsiders, Afonso hired assassins to murder Inês. When Pedro finally ascended to the throne, he declared his dead wife Queen and legitimized their children as rightful heirs. Her body was exhumed and as the story goes, Pedro forced the entire court to swear allegiance to her and kiss the hem of her dress.
The church is a Latin-cross building with a transept and three aisles. The nave is 20 meters high and 106 meters long. There is no decoration on the walls which is typical of Cistercian churches.
Just like Mosteiro da Batalha, the monastery escaped the 1755 Earthquake but suffered at the hands of Napoleon’s troops.
Alcobaça Monastery was classified as a National Monument in 1907. It was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites in 1989.
The Cistercian monks were dedicated to literature. The library at Alcobaça was one of the largest medieval libraries until it was pillaged by the French in 1810. Many of the books were stolen in 1834 when religious orders were dissolved. The remnants of the library are now kept in the Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal in Lisbon.
The monastery was very influential in the Middle Ages and several kings are buried there—Afonso II and Urraca, Afonso III and Beatrice, and King Pedro I and his mistress Inês de Castro.
Back story of Inês—Prince Pedro was married to Constanza of Castile but fell in love with Inês when she came to court as a lady-in-waiting. King Afonso caught wind of the affair and banished Inês to a faraway castle. Within a year Constanza died and Pedro brought Inês back declaring his love for her. After several attempts to keep them apart, Pedro and Inês ran away and started a family. Fearing the throne would be lost to outsiders, Afonso hired assassins to murder Inês. When Pedro finally ascended to the throne, he declared his dead wife Queen and legitimized their children as rightful heirs. Her body was exhumed and as the story goes, Pedro forced the entire court to swear allegiance to her and kiss the hem of her dress.
The church is a Latin-cross building with a transept and three aisles. The nave is 20 meters high and 106 meters long. There is no decoration on the walls which is typical of Cistercian churches.
Just like Mosteiro da Batalha, the monastery escaped the 1755 Earthquake but suffered at the hands of Napoleon’s troops.
Alcobaça Monastery was classified as a National Monument in 1907. It was added to UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites in 1989.
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