Alcobaca
Alcobaca is a town most noted for the magnificent monastery (St. Mary’s Monastery). Commissioned by Afonso Henriques (the first king of Portugal) as a spiritual debt of gratitude to St. Bernard of Clairvaux for inspiring crusaders to battle the Moors at Santarem; work on the monastery began in 1178.
Given its scale, the architecture, the quality of the masonry work and the sculptures housed within, the monastery is deeply impressive. Contained within the monastery are the two sarcophagi of the Romeo and Juliet of Portuguese history, these are widely considered to be the finest examples of Portuguese sculpture of the 14th century. Also of note is the 18th century Salon of Kings where sculptures of a number of Portuguese rulers have been set.
Undoubtedly the monastery is the key attraction of the town but visitors to Alcobaca can also enjoy a meal or refreshments in a number of pleasant cafes, bars and restaurants that surround the monastery. The town is of a reasonable size and as such offers a number of shops, including some that specialise in traditional ceramics.
