Alcobaça Things to Do

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The Alcobaça Monastery is one of the first foundations of the Cistercian Order in Portugal. It was founded in 1153 as a gift to Bernard of Clairvaux, shortly before his death, from the first Portuguese King, Afonso Henriques, to commemorate his victory over the Moors at Santarem in March 1147. The foundation of the monastery was part of the strategy by Afonso Henriques to consolidate his authority in the new kingdom and promote the colonization of areas recently taken from Moorish hands during the Reconquista.
The building of the monastery began in 1178, some 25 years after the arrival of the Cistercian monks in the Alcobaca region. Initially, the monks lived in wooden houses, and only moved to the new stone monastery buildings in 1223. The church was completed in 1252. The finished church and monastery were the first truly Gothic buildings in Portugal, and the church was the largest in Portugal. The last touch in the mediaeval ensemble was given in the late 13th century, when King Dinis I ordered the construction of the Gothic cloister, the Cloister of Silence.

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Columns and walls are devoid of decoration, as required in Cistercian churches, and the interior is very brightly illuminated by rows of windows on the walls and rose windows on the main façade and transept arms. But that doesn’t mean church had no sculptures and icons. All statues and benches were used as the fire wood by the French troops during Peninsular War. A lot of the church property disappeared during the Civil War of 1820-1834. Anyway the internal structures of the church are still stunning the visitors. I was very impressed.

The main chapel, like in Clairvaux, is surrounded by a gallery (ambulatory) and has a series of radiating chapels. The aisles are covered by simple Gothic vaulting.

Opening Hours
October to March
From 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. (last admission at 4.30 p.m.)
April to September
From 9.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. (last admission at 6.30 p.m.)
The ticket office closes 30 minutes before the Monastery’s closing time.
Closed: 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December

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The chapel of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux the famous Cistercian and instigator of the Second Crusade is located in the South side of the transept. It has a sculptural group depicting the "Death of Saint Bernard" made in XVII th-century. In each side of the chapel are buried Kings of Portugal Afonso II and Afonso III.
Opening Hours
October to March
From 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. (last admission at 4.30 p.m.)
April to September
From 9.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. (last admission at 6.30 p.m.)
The ticket office closes 30 minutes before the Monastery’s closing time.
Closed: 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December

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Royal Pantheon is situated in the so-called Neo Gothic Chapel. The entrance to Neo Gothic Chapel is in the South wing of the transept near the King Pedro tomb. The Royal Pantheon has the 13th century tombs of the Queens of Portugal, Urraca of Castile and Beatrix of Castile, married respectively to Kings Afonso II and Afonso III. There are also smaller tombs of unidentified princes. The most decorated tomb is that of Queen Urraca who died in 1220.

Opening Hours
October to March
From 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. (last admission at 4.30 p.m.)
April to September
From 9.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. (last admission at 6.30 p.m.)
The ticket office closes 30 minutes before the Monastery’s closing time.
Closed: 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December

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OK, why the Inez de Castro’s tomb is so interesting for me and what kind of valuable information I receive from it’s bas-relief. OK! There are a lot of figures of men at arms carved on the tomb sides. That means any researcher of that period can see the appearance of Portuguese man at arms of last quarter of XIV. So, the Portuguese knights or “homen de armas” during the battle of Aljubarrota were looking like as the guys on the tomb. Thanks to unknown master!

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The Inez’s tomb is decorated with scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, including the Crucifixion and with the Last Judgment. And her tomb is much more interesting for me because it provides a lot of valuable information about the last quarter of XIV century.

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There are tombs of King Pedro I and his mistress Ines de Castro assassinated in 1355 under the orders of Peter's father King Afonso IV in the transept of the church. After becoming King, Pedro ordered the remains of his beloved to be transferred to her tomb in Alcobaça and, according to a popular legend, made her be crowned as Queen of Portugal and ordered court members to pay her homage by kissing her decomposing hand.
Nobody knows who made the tombs of Pedro and Inez but they are among the best works of gothic sculpture in Portugal. The King’s tomb is supported by lions and half-men half-beasts in the case of Inez, and both carry the recumbent figures of the deceased assisted by a group of angels. The sides of Pedro's tomb are magnificently decorated with bas-reliefs showing the scenes from Saint Bartholomew's life, as well as scenes from Pedro and Inez's own lives.

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No, I'm not telling the story again.

Only a remark to notice that recent works opened the access to a window from where you'll be able to take a picture of the tombs demonstrating how the king decided to be buried, in order to, at the end of the world... No! I promised not to tell the story again.

I believe that it is impossible to arrive at the monastery without knowing our "Romeo and Juliet story", but if you do, even the stones will tell it to you.