A Royal Palace Within The Grounds of Paço das Escolas

In the Pátio das Escolas (School Patio), you will find the historical centre of the University of Coimbra. On three sides, several buildings surround it: the library, the chapel, the tower, the palace and the college. To the south, the Patio opens onto the Mondego river. Throughout history, the buildings have undergone progressive transformations. The shapes we see today date mainly from the 16th and 18th centuries, but we also find older traces that take us back to the beginning of the first millennium.

The origin of the School Patio is an Alcazar. The word derives from Arabic and means fortified enclosure. It was built during the Moorish occupation, around the year 1000, and served as the residence of the governor of Islamic Qulumriyah. It is worth noting how the name of the city was already close to its current designation. The citadel was 80 metres square, with high walls reinforced by towers, and was built on a hill overlooking the city and the river. Hence, it is not surprising that when the Christian troops of Ferdinand the Great, King of León and Castile, conquered Coimbra in 1064, after a long siege of 6 months, the citadel immediately passed into the hands of the victors. It was here that Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal, settled from 1131 onwards. Coimbra became the seat of the court and the building became the most important royal palace. Almost all the princes of the 1st dynasty were born here. Six of them became kings of Portugal, living in the Royal Palace of the Alcáçova. For this reason, the space was gradually expanded and filled according to need: first the chapel, which Christianised the place, then the great hall for the most important ceremonies, but also the chambers, kitchens and storerooms. In the 13th century, however, Lisbon became the capital of the kingdom and the palace of Coimbra lost its importance on royal journeys and sojourns. Therefore, in 1537, when King John III definitively transferred the University - or General Study as it was then known - from Lisbon to Coimbra, he loaned the entire block of buildings for academic use. The Queen's quarters were used for Law and Canon Law classes, which were the most prestigious studies at the time and attracted the most students. Sixty years later, the University bought the whole complex of buildings. It was then renamed Paço das Escolas, remaining to this day the seat of the University.