Alcobaça Introduction
A town that only became notable in the 12th Century when it became the site for
the important construction of Portugal’s largest church. In the month of March
in 1147 the fledgling King, Dom Afonso Henriques, defeated the Moors by
capturing the town of Santarém. As a suitable memory to this splendid victory he
vowed to build a magnificent home for the Order of Cistercians. It took another
76 years before this task was completed. The monarchy continued to endow the
Monastery with further construction and 60 years later King Dinis built the main
cloister but it was only in 1252 that the Monastery was inaugurated within the
church.
In the church are the tombs of King Pedro I and his murdered mistress, Inês de
Castro and with this is the tragic story of the liaison between Pedro and his
ever-lasting love for Inês. Forced at an early age by royal duty he had to marry
Constanza, the Infanta of Castile. She died within a short time of the marriage
ceremony and created the opportunity for Dom Pedro to escape with his true love
and live in the city of Coimbra. King Afonso IV as his father, believing that
the family of Inês to be a threat to his own kingdom had her murdered. Shortly
after the death of his father Dom Pedro declared that he had married Inês in a
prior secret ceremony in Bragança, promptly taking revenge on the killers in a
very gruesome manner and exhumed Inês body. He presented the embalmed corpse at
court with a crown on her head and demanded that all his courtiers kneel and
individually pay homage to her decomposed hand. Today, their ornate tombs face
each other so that on the Judgment Day his first sight would be of his beloved
Inês.
During the following centuries the monks from this monastery had an influencing
effect on Portuguese culture. Notably, in 1269 they were the first to give
public lessons to their flock, and later they produced the authoritative history
on Portugal in a series of books. In 1810 the invading French pillaged the Abbey
taking with them most of the many treasures including a noteworthy library.
Whatever the items remaining were then later stolen in 1834 during an
anti-clerical riot and the extinction of religious Orders in Portugal.
Alcobaça Description
The main feature of the town is essentially the Abbey that proudly presents a
long and sombre façade with 18th Century embellishments. This austerity is
further emphasized in the cloisters with its apt name of “Cloister of Silence”.
In contrast within the Abbey is the massive kitchen with a running stream
specially diverted to pass through as a supply of fresh water. The open area of
the kitchen chimney is large enough to take a whole ox for roasting. The
surround to the sacristy doorway is an outstanding example of Manueline
decoration. In 1794, an Englishman named Lord Beckford visited the Abbey and
commented that he found some 300 monks “living in a very splendid manner”!
Alcobaça Nearby Locations
A few kilometres to the north of Alcobaça is another wondrous building
constructed in memory of a different important battle, that of Aljubarrota in
1385, when Dom João I defeated the Castilians and ensuring two hundred years of
independence from the Spanish invaders. The construction of the Abbey at Batalha
commenced in 1388 and was added to by various Portuguese Kings over these next
two centuries.
To the east of Batalha is the world famous location of Fátima and a point of
pilgrimage for the Roman Catholic religion due to the vision of the Virgin Mary
in 1917 by three young children whilst tending their flock.
To the west of Alcobaça is the well-known fishing village of Nazaré. Today, the
village is now a small town and a popular holiday resort with most of its past
and traditions having rapidly evaporated in the course of time. A very
successful Portuguese feature film was made in the early 20th Century that
dramatically captured the primitive and the dangerous life of these fishermen.
Stoutly Catholic, the inhabitants have retained some of their past as can be
still seen in their own particular style of costume.
To the south is Caldas da Rainha and the quaint medieval town of Óbidos that is
an attraction for any tourists that enjoys a true glimpse of the medieval past.
Also to the south is the town of Porto de Mós with its fanciful rebuilt castle.
This town borders the Nature Reserve Parque Natural das Serras de Aire e
Candeeiros. These 39.000 hectares of limestone-covered landscape is also known
for its underground caverns. The most well known being the Grutas de Mira de
Aire can be visited and consists of tunnels, caverns with stalactites,
stalagmites, lakes, and a music and light finale.
Alcobaça Map (Click Here)
Alcobaça Photos (Click Here)
Alcobaça Weather
     
Alcobaça Information
800 296 296 - Support to Tourists
112 - SOS
262 580 800 - Town Hall
262 598 598 - Fire Brigade
262 595 400 - Police
808 208 208 - Railways (CP)
Alcobaça Golf
| BOM SUCESSO | BOTADO | CAMPO REAL |
CURIA |
PRAIA DEL REY | QUINTA DO BRINCAL |
VIMEIRO |
Alcobaça Events
Festival de Musica - May
Feira de São Bernardo - 20th August
Town Holiday - 20th August
Feira de São Simão - 4th week of October
Market Day - Every Monday
Alcobaça Locations of Interest
Municipal Museum of Alcobaça
Museum of Home of Vieira Natividade
Museum of Glass of "Cristal Atlantis"
National Museum of Wine
Arch - Arcos de Cister
Castle
Church - Igreja da Misericórdia
Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça
Teatro Chaby Pinheiro - (Nazaré)
Museu Arquelológico de Dr Joaquim Manso - (Nazaré)
Abby - Abadia de Santa Maria
Castle - (Alfeizerão)
Castle - (Alcanede)
Castle - (Porto de Mós)
Caves - (Carvalhal de Aljubarrota)
Caves - (Mira de Aire)
Chapel - Capela de Santa Rita - (Cós)
Church - Igreja de São Gião - (Nazaré)
Convento de Santa Maria - (Cós)
Forte - (Nazaré)
Town - (Nazaré)
Nature Park of Serras de Aire e Candeeiro
Norparque Water Theme Park - (Sítio de Nazaré)
Thermal Spa of Piedade
Alcobaça Beaches
Praia de Água de Medeiros
Praia de Falca
Praia da Gralha
Praia de Légua
Praia do Mar
Praia da Nazaré
Praia Nova
Praia da Pedra do Ouro
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