Present-day Coimbra hides an extraordinary past. Here, you can find the most well-preserved cryptoporticus from the Roman Empire and the richest Baroque library in Europe. At Coimbra, you will also discover remnants of the Moorish occupation.
Coimbra also played a vital role in the foundation of the Portuguese Kingdom and became home to kings and queens in the Middle Ages. While visiting this striking city, you can admire a vibrant city with a rich historical heritage that defined the country’s history.
Aeminium: The Roman Marvel
Although Coimbra is an old city, historians find it difficult to establish the exact date the first inhabitants arrived. It was already known as Aeminium in the pre-Roman era and the city kept its name during the Roman occupation in the 2nd century BCE. Located beside the Mondego River, Aeminium sits on top of a hill. Its name means “elevation” or “height.” This strategic location was perfect for a blooming city. The river allowed commercial trade between the coastal hamlets and people in the inland mountains. The fertile land and the abundance of freshwater allowed agriculture to thrive.
When the Romans arrived, they acknowledged the city’s location and its relevance to other cities in the Iberian Peninsula. As a result, the Romans designed route XVI, which connected Olissipo (Lisbon) to Bracara Augusta (Braga) and included Aeminium. It quickly became the perfect stopping point for travelers to change horses, have some sleep, and enjoy a warm meal before resuming their journey.
Aeminium became one of the most important cities in the Northern Lusitanian region. Unfortunately, there are few monuments left from this period. Yet, underneath the current Machado de Castro Nacional Museum, you can find a very well-preserved cryptoporticus from the Roman Empire. This construction was the base for the Roman Forum.
We know from excavations that the Aeminium Forum had two gallery floors, the main purpose of which was to support the building’s weight while standing on a steep slope. It is the largest preserved Roman building in Portugal.
Archaeologists have found several sculptures of the empresses Livia and Agrippina and the emperors Trajan and Vespasian inside the Cryptoporticus. These were once placed in the forum’s square.
After the 4th century, the forum gradually transformed into a ruin. The cryptoporticus’s galleries were filled with rubbish and the remains of the surrounding fallen walls. With the Roman Empire’s decline, the Visigoths took over the city. Just like those who came before them, they also recognized the strategic importance of Aeminium.
In the 6th century, the city replaced Conímbriga, a Roman city 16 kilometers (10 miles) south of Aeminium, as the episcopal seat. It quickly became known as the city of the bishop of Conímbriga. As a result, the city’s name also changed to Colimbria, and finally to Coimbra.
The Moorish Kulūmriyya and the Reconquista
The Visigoth kingdom ruled over Coimbra for over a century until the first Moorish hoards arrived in the Iberian Peninsula. Led by Abdalazize ibne Muça, the Moors conquered Coimbra in 714, and it became Kulūmriyya.
The strategic location and surrounding geography allowed Kulūmriyya to grow. It became an important trading post between the Christian regions to the North and the Moorish regions to the South. During Moorish rule, Kulūmriyya was the largest city in the Al-Andalus, with a 10-hectare walled enclosure and over 3,000 inhabitants.
During this period, the Moors built an 80-meter-long (262-foot) square-shaped alcázar with circular towers where the governor lived. The fortified palace foundations remain where the Paço das Escolas and the Porta Férrea of the University of Coimbra now stand. Although there is little evidence of the Moorish occupation, today you can still admire the remnants of the city wall at Almedina Gate and Tower, the Barbican Gate, the Contenda Tower, and the Anto Tower.
In 871, the Christians captured the city, which became the Condado de Coimbra. Yet, it was recaptured by Al-Manṣūr’s armies in 987. In 1064, Kulūmriyya was reconquered by King D. Fernando of Leon and his Christian armies.
King D. Fernando handed over the control of Coimbra to D. Sesnando Davides. As a Mozarab, a Christian living under Moorish rule, he found a way to keep the peace between the Moors and Christians. That is why scholars consider him a diplomat ahead of his time. Nevertheless, Sesnando was also responsible for building a defensive line of castles such as Coimbra Castle (which has disappeared), Montemo-o-Velho Castle, and Penacova Castle.
Sesnando ruled the Condado de Coimbra until 1091, always keeping a distance from the mighty Condado Portucalense and the Christian kings in the North. As a result, Coimbra enjoyed a peaceful period and became the most important city south of the Douro River.
Coimbra in the Middle Ages
In 1096, King Afonso VI handed the Condado Portucalence and Condado de Coimbra to Count D. Henrique. In return, the count had to marry the king’s bastard daughter D. Teresa, and expand the frontier lines further south.
The Condado de Coimbra merged into Condado Portucalense after D. Henrique’s death, and his wife D. Teresa, became Countess of Portucale and Coimbra. As the Condado Portucalense expanded, D. Teresa and D. Henrique’s son, D. Afonso Henriques, rose to power and led his armies to face the Moors.
After his mother died and he achieved several victories against the Moorish armies, Afonso Henriques moved his court to Coimbra and made it the capital of the Condado, replacing the original capital city of Guimarães. The strategic location and the imposing walls favored the king’s goal of conquering more territory. Over time, military expeditions departed from Coimbra, heading south. At the same time, a network of castles protected the city to the south and west, such as Leiria, Soure, Rabaçal, Alvorge, and Ansião.
In the 12th century, Coimbra was divided between the upper city, the Alta or Almedina, where the aristocrats and the clergy lived, and the Baixa, dedicated to commerce and handicrafts. This was Coimbra’s golden era. At the time, an estimated 6,000 inhabitants enjoyed the fortified city with its river port and fertile lands.
Additionally, King Afonso Henriques ordered the construction and reconstruction of several buildings. Santa Cruz Monastery, the Old Cathedral, and the Roman Bridge were some infrastructure projects included in the king’s orders. The city wall, fountains, streets, and sidewalks were also refurbished.
In 1290, King Dinis created the first university in Portugal in Lisbon. By 1537 it had permanently moved to Coimbra.
Since then, Coimbra has become known as the “City of Knowledge,” a reference to those pursuing an academic career here. By the 16th century, students could focus on Theology, Canon Law, and Medicine in the city.
Modern Coimbra
Between 1807 and 1810, Napoleon’s armies invaded Portugal. With the assistance of the British, the Portuguese were able to repel the French. During this period, Coimbra experienced troubled times. Knowing the French were coming, the British ordered the population to evacuate, leaving what they could not carry. Anything that might help the French was destroyed. When Junot’s and Massena’s armies arrived in Coimbra, they found an empty city and very little they could use.
In no time, the French marched south toward Lisbon. Along the way, they fought many battles against the Portuguese and British armies. Due to the casualties and the lack of support and supplies, the French finally left Portugal in 1811.
Today, Coimbra is one of the busiest cities in Portugal. It offers a rich cultural, historical, and architectural heritage that shaped Portugal’s history.
