Description of the attraction
The medieval building of the monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobasa is located in the central part of the town of Alcobas. The city got its name in honor of the rivers Alcoa and Basa, at the confluence of which it is located.
The monastery was founded by the first king of Portugal, Afonso Henriques, in 1153. The church and monastery were the very first buildings in Portugal built in the Gothic style and are considered important historical sites of the Middle Ages. In 1989, the Monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobasa was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The monastery was one of the first temples of the Cistercian monastic order in Portugal and was built under King Afonso Henriques of Portugal in honor of his victory over the Moors. The construction of the monastery was part of the strategy of the king, who wanted to strengthen his authority in the newly created empire and facilitate the colonization of lands recently recaptured from the Moors.
At the time of the construction of the monastery, in 1178, the monks of the Cistercian order had already been in the city for over 25 years. All this time they lived in wooden houses, and moved to the monastery in 1223. The church was completed much later and is considered the largest church in Portugal. The finishing touch to this ensemble is the Silencio covered gallery (Gallery of Silence) in the Gothic style, which was built in the 13th century.
The library at Alcobasa is considered one of the largest medieval libraries in Portugal. In 1810, during the French invasion, many books were stolen. The rest of the books are now kept in the National Library of Lisbon.
During the reign of King Manuel I, the second floor was completed above the covered gallery of Silencio and a Manueline-style sacristy was built. The monastery was further expanded in the 18th century with the construction of a new covered gallery and church towers, and the Baroque façade was renewed. Inside the church are the Gothic tombs of Don Pedro I and Don Ines de Castro, which are excellent examples of 14th century Portuguese art.
