Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha, Coimbra

The Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha (Old Saint Clare) stands as a hauntingly beautiful Gothic ruin on the left bank of the Mondego River in Coimbra. Built in the 14th century, the monastery fell victim to constant flooding, forcing the nuns to abandon it in the 17th century and relocate to Santa Clara-a-Nova. For more than three centuries, the structure lay partially submerged, until excavations in the late 20th century unveiled its remarkably well-preserved remains. Following 12 years of meticulous restoration, the site was reopened to the public with a new visitor center.

The church’s architecture, influenced by the Monastery of Alcobaca, features a stone-vaulted nave flanked by two aisles—rare for mendicant orders, which favored wooden ceilings. Its pointed barrel vault (nave) and groin vaults (aisles) echo Alcobaca’s style, while tall mullioned, and rose windows illuminate the space. Lacking a transept, the nave was divided for public and monastic use, with the now-lost elevated choir once housing Queen Isabel’s tomb.

The apse features three polygonal chapels, the central one being the largest, now roofless but with traces of its three windows. A southern portal connects the church to the ruined cloister, where double columns with vegetal capitals and a Gothic fountain remain. Excavations also revealed the chapter house, refectory, smaller cloister, and Queen Isabel’s old palace.

Though its treasures are scattered, Santa Clara-a-Nova preserves three Gothic tombs from Santa Clara-a-Velha, including Queen Isabel’s 1330 tomb by Aragonese sculptor Pero. Many artworks, such as a 1486 triptych on Clare of Assisi and a 1517 altarpiece by Quentin Metsys, are now housed in Coimbra’s Machado de Castro Museum, along with sculptures and metalwork reflecting the monastery’s past prestige.

Today, the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha stands as both a historical monument and a testament to resilience, offering visitors a window into Portugal’s medieval past, the power of the Mondego River, and the artistic legacy of one of Coimbra’s most significant religious sites.