Alcobaca Monastery

From the Roman ruins, we drove an hour or so to Alcobaca Monastery, another UNESCO World Heritage site (UNESCO means "you must go!" for non-regular readers of the blog).  We drove into the small town of Alcobaca, not far from Nazare and the coast.

We ended up with rock star parking right across the road from the monastery.  Even better?  Parking was free! First you look for machines that dispense the parking slips, then, when you don't see them, you look in the windows of other cars.  If they don't have the parking slips in their windshields, you are good to park for free.  We did that multiple times across Portugal (sometimes we DID have to pay).

View of most of the front of Alcobaca

Rock star parking for our

usually trustworthy Citroen.

Considered the finest Gothic building in Portugal, it is the country's largest church.  By the way, I'm not sure why monasteries are called that, because they are also churches.  My guess is that monks lived the monastic life at monasteries, while Cathedrals didn't have the people living there.  And I believe that convents are similar to monasteries, except they are not located in cities/towns, but out in rural areas.  If I am wrong, let me know.  My feelings won't be hurt.

Like so many building projects here in the States, construction was started in 1178 after the Moors were chased further south.  Rick Steves makes the point that "with the finely preserved old dormitories and dining halls, it's the easiest place in Portugal to really envision the life monastic.  And, I gotta say he's right about that.

We started in the small cloister with the fountain, went into the refectory, then the kitchen, then another side room (forget what it was).  We couldn't go upstairs to the dorms, so we went into the church and finished in the Hall of Kings.  

Stairway to heaven.  Up to the pulpit for

Bible readings during meals in the refectory

Cloister pig gargoyle.  Along with the dragon

from Batalha, one of the two best gargoyles

of the trip.

This fishy states its case for inclusion

on the list of Great Gargoyles.

The kitchen, with the baking chimney.  They could

roast seven oxen here simultaneously. The

kitchen also has cool sinks.

Cloister hallway.

The tower rings a bell.

Baptism day!

We first King Pedro I and Ines in Coimbra, and I alluded there was more to come.  Considered Portugal's most tragic (and I would add grisly) romantic couple, their tombs are across the Nave from each other, in their own separate transept.  They are feet to feet, so on Judgment Day they'll rise and see each other immediately.  There are angels ready to wake the couple, there are fine carvings on their tombs, and scenes from the lives of saints.

Pedro's loyal dogs are at his feet, and he has a scepter at the ready.  His tomb is supported by lions, while the tomb of Ines is supported by her murderers, including one holding a monkey, the symbol of evil.  Napoleon's troops vandalized parts of the tomb (uncivilized French!), so many heads of the carvings are gone.

Murdered at the order of Pedro's father, the son waged war against his father.  Crowned two years later, in 1357, Pedro summoned her murderers, exhumed Ines' body, dressed it in a bridal gown, and made her Queen.  He required the murderers kiss her rotting hand.  Then Pedro ripped out their hears, ate them, and washed the hearts down with some vinho verde.  That's love.  And revenge.

One of Ines' murderers.  Scum.

Ines, waiting to be awaken by angels.

Shock the monkey.

Not part of the Pedro and Ines story,

but a good shot from behind the

simple altar down the nave.

Oh who's a good doggie?!  You are!

Don't mess with King Pedro I.

Ornate carving on his tomb.

Angel intent on her job.

Scepter lies at the ready.

Yes, there is a recent movie (2019) streaming on Amazon.  Looks freaky weird.  I suppose that means we will be watching it.

Our last stop was in the Hall of Kings, which was semi-interesting.  It's got statues of many of Portugal's kings, at least until Joseph, king during the earthquake of 1755.  I was more interested in the blue tiles than the statues.  The tiles tell the story of the conquest of the Moors in the 12th century and then building of the monastery.

The Hall of Kings

Alcobaca definitely has earned UNESCO status.

After we finished, we walked across the street and found a place for lunch.  The 77 year old owner came over to chat us up.  He loves America, has been there three times.  Then he started reminiscing about Ronald Reagan.  Next, he said, "But I didn't like the last guy.  Or the new guy.  It's not good when America is weak."