King John III - The Patron of the University

In the Patio, the statue of King John III occupies a prominent place. It reminds us of the importance of this king in establishing the General Study in Coimbra in 1537. Although Denis of Portugal had created the "Etude Général" much earlier, in 1290, its headquarters shifted between Coimbra and Lisbon for almost 300 years. John III contributed to a remarkable renewal of academic teaching. This was helped by the fact that his father, Manuel I, decreed that the kings of Portugal were to be the protectors of the University, being able to decide on important actions regarding its operation and appoint professors. The winds of the Renaissance were blowing and this humanist influence was visible in King John III's initiatives: he founded the Royal College of Arts, created a network of colleges to receive students, awarded numerous scholarships to study abroad and hired teachers from overseas to improve the quality of teaching.

With this reform, the university became a school of international renown and Coimbra became the learning capital of the Kingdom.