The University of Coimbra is a Portuguese public university in Coimbra, Portugal. Established in 1290 in Lisbon, it went through a number of relocations until it was moved permanently to its current city in 1537, being one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the world, the oldest university of Portugal, and one of the country’s largest museums of higher education and research institutions. The university is organized into eight different faculties according to a wide range of fields, granting academic bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in nearly all major fields of knowledge, such as arts, engineering, humanities, mathematics, natural sciences, social sciences, medicine, sports and technologies. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Directly across from the Museum Nacional de Machado de Castro are the steps leading up to the University.
We next purchased tickets to tour the Biblioteca Joanina. On our way to the library we passed several more buildings. Click on the highlighted links for in-depth posts on each component of the university.
We finally reached the library after a long walk. The route to the library begins in the basement. We watched a video about the University Academic Prison, fascinating.
When you purchase your ticket to visit the “Biblioteca Joanina” in Coimbra University, the Academic Prison is included on the tour. It consists of three small rooms where students were imprisoned at a time when the university could enforce both civil laws and university rules like not returning a book to the library!
The Johannine Library (Portuguese: Biblioteca Joanina) is a Baroque library situated in the heights of the historic center of the University of Coimbra. in the city of Coimbra. Built in the 18th century during the reign of the Portuguese King John V, it is part of the University of Coimbra General Library. It is a National Monument and has a priceless historical value being one of the main tourist attractions among the older monuments belonging to the university. The university is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The statue of Dom Dinis in the courtyard of Coimbra University in Coimbra, Portugal honors the “poet” king of Portugal who ruled from 1279 for the next 46 years. He was the founder of what would become the University of Coimbra which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The statue of King Dinis is situated in the center of a square within the university of Coimbra from where Dinis overlooks the town of Coimbra. The statue is designed by Francisco Franco. inaugurated in 1943. The statue is made of stone and is about three meters and is on a stone pedestal with about 3 meters containing the king’s coat of arms and the inscription with his name and dates of birth and death.
