Description of the attraction
Coimbra is the largest city in the central region of Portugal; from the 10th century until 1260 it was the capital of the country. It was during this period that the city began to develop strongly and successfully, grow and turn into a promising city.
The city was divided, as it were, into two parts. The Upper Town was home to the wealthiest aristocrats of Coimbra (also known as the Almedina), and the lower town was home to the poor and middle class.
The Almedina Tower was built near the Almedina Arch around the 11th century, during the reign of Dom Sesnando. The Arch of Almedina is the entrance to the old city and part of the fortification walls that were erected by the Arab conqueror Almansor. At the time of the Arab conquest of the city, the walls were more than two miles long and the walls were a powerful defensive system of the city, which included both the tower and the arch. The arch is also called the Door of Almedin, today through it you can get to the upper city.
The tower has been rebuilt many times over the centuries. She defended the main entrance to the city, and was monitored around the clock. In addition, the tower was the headquarters of the city's municipal and legal authorities. For one century, from the 14th to the 15th century, the tower housed the city council and the town hall. Later it became the House of Councils. The bell on the tower called for meetings, and also announced the opening and closing times of the gates.
Today, the tower houses the Center of the fortified city, a kind of museum that tells about the history of the medieval city and its defensive structures. The tower also houses the city archive.
