🏛️ Alcobaça Monastery
Portugal
About This Sacred Site
The Monastery of Alcobaça is the earliest Gothic building in Portugal and one of the finest Cistercian monasteries in Europe. Founded in 1153 by Portugal's first king, Afonso Henriques, it was entrusted to the Cistercian order, whose monks played a central role in colonizing and cultivating the surrounding territory. The church is the largest in Portugal and follows the austere Cistercian aesthetic of unadorned stone and pure proportions. The monastery houses the elaborately carved tombs of King Pedro I and Inês de Castro, Portugal's most tragic love story.
Key Facts
- •UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1989
- •The church is the largest in Portugal at 106 meters long
- •Founded by Portugal's first king, Afonso Henriques, in 1153
- •Houses the tombs of Pedro I and Inês de Castro, facing each other so they will see each other first at the resurrection
- •The medieval kitchen features a stream diverted through it for washing and fresh fish
Location
Coordinates: 39.5488, -8.9784
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