University is Coimbra's crown jewel

The city of Coimbra (pronouced 'queen-bra') is seen from the University campus.

We're on a bus from Porto to Coimbra, and I'm studying up on Portugal's former capital and premier college town. The Universidade de Coimbra opened its doors in 1290 and is one of the world's oldest universities. For a time, until 1911, Coimbra was Portugal's only university.

Before heading to the university at the top of the town, we need a mid-morning snack, and incredibly, I manage to find Mijacão, a tiny tavern in an alley off of Rua Da Sofia that serves yummy (and cheap) sandwiches throughout the day. Thus fortified, we stroll up the stunning Aveinda Sá da Bandeira on our way to the campus.

Steps lead to the Largo Dom Dinis at the University of Coimbra.

Once there, we meet two law students who sell us a postcard and direct us to the place that sells tickets to the historical sites on the university campus that we will be visiting.

The plaza of Paço das Escolas is the centerpiece of the University of Coimbra.

Three of these sites are located along the edges of the majestic plaza of Paço das Escolas. We've been assigned a specific time to be at the downstairs entrance to Joanine Library, the most famous and impressive site in Coimbra and one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. Originally known as the "Book House," the Biblioteca Joanina was commissioned in 1717  by King João V (hence the nickname). The building contains around 60,000 books from the 16th to 18th centuries and is still considered a valuable bibliographical resource for scholars.

The portal to the Joanine Library at the University of Coimbra is a
triumphal arch framed by ionic columns. Above the door is this message
in Latin: 'This is the home that august Coimbra donated to books so that
the library may crown its front.'

We enter at the lower level into what was once the academic prison. The prison was installed in 1593 underneath another building and moved to its present location in 1773. The jail was used until 1832 to host students who had committed disciplinary offences. The middle floor was once used for collections that only staff could peruse, but it is now used for temporary exhibitions.

The intermediate floor of the Biblioteca Joanina is used for temporary exhibitions.

As we move upstairs to the main level, I put my camera away. No photos are allowed here. Some travel writers claim that the library, and other parts of the campus provided inspiration to JK Rowling as she was writing the "Harry Potter" series. The three rooms that comprise the library are covered ceiling to floor on two levels with books. The walls and shelves are decorated with small oriental paintings of flora, fauna and figures. Ladders are built into the gilded wooden shelves and can be pulled out to retrieve books from upper shelves. The ceilings are covered with splendid trompe l'oeil murals. The library is also the home to bats, valued tenants who keep the moths and other destructive bugs at bay.

The interior of Saint Michael's Chapel at the University of Coimbra contains
tiled walls and this cheerful ceiling.

Because the campus will close at 1 p.m. for lunch, we hurry on to St. Michael's Chapel and the Royal Palace. The chapel dates back to around the 11th century but the current building was built in the 16th century. The interior is slightly newer (from the 17th and 18th centuries). The chapel's outstanding feature is the church organ, but I fancy the ceiling.

A detail of the interior of St. Michael's Chapel at the University of Coimbra
depicts The Last Supper. 

Doctorate candidates would take their oral exams in secret at night in the
Examination Room of the Paço des Escolas in Coimbra.

The Royal Palace, Paço das Escolas, has a long rich history. The Ceremonial Hall, Sala dos Capelos, was originally the Throne Hall. Ceremonies such as the formal opening of the Academic year, the investiture of the rector, and PhD oral examinations are still held here.

A male frog, in shorts, was mated with a female frog, thus creating the first
artificial condom for animals. This is one of the scientific discoveries exhibited
at the Science Museum at the University of Coimbra.

As the bells signals the end of morning classes, we head to the Science Museum, which doesn't close at midday; its young staff evidently doesn't get a lunch break. The museum, which was formerly classrooms, features hands-on exhibits. Across the street, a natural history wing contains hundreds of animal skeletons and stuffed animals.

Can you spot Ken in this photograph taken at the University of Coimbra's
Science Museum?

Ken contemplates the beauty of the University of Coimbra's Botanical Garden
and calculates how far we've walked today.

We still have a few hours before our bus, so we take a walk in the university's Botanical Garden. Created by an initiative of the Marquess of Pombal in 1772, the garden is a living laboratory for science and nature education, research, and the promotion of biodiversity conservation.

An angel appears to take flight from this church roof along Rua da Sofia
in Coimbra.

The return walk from the university to downtown is much easier, and we have time to stop in some shops and have dinner before heading back to Porto — the subject of my next post.