Mosteiro de Santa Cruz

A Romanesque temple founded in 1131, during the reign of King Afonso Henriques, outside the walls of Coimbra. In the first half of the 16th century, the Monastery was completely renovated by order of King Manuel I. Its main portal, executed by Chanterenne between 1522 and 1525, is its most emblematic piece. Inside, highlights include the Manueline vault covering the nave of the church, the tombs of King Afonso Henriques and King Sancho I, the Chapter Room (a Manueline work executed by Diogo de Boutaca), the Chapel of Saint Teotónio (a Mannerist work by the sculptor Tomé Velho), and the Cloister of Silence, with vaults and naturalistic decorative motifs.