To commemorate and celebrate the 800th anniversary of the foundation of this place of worship certainly represents a source of pride and satisfaction for all the people of Coimbra, the Portuguese and all those worldwide interested in heritage and the Cistercian communities. Santa Maria de Celas, like all Portuguese monastic houses, suffered from the abolition of religious orders and abandonment in the 19th century but managed to recover its religious purpose and preserve its building, recognised for its great historical and artistic relevance. However, it is also one of Coimbra’s least known monuments, despite its architecture and the works of art it still preserves constituting true “heritage jewels”.

The Santo António dos Olivais Parish Council, the administrative jurisdiction hosting this former Cistercian abbey for women, acted in good time to ensure this event would be marked by a meeting bringing together specialists from various areas, whose knowledge connects to the abbey’s history or intersects this and who capable of providing knowledge to a varied audiences about what is today known, particularly about the early centuries of the monastic house’s existence, closer to the date associated with its foundation. This conference set out to make another contribution to disseminating the importance of the monument and its long history, as well as the current integration into national and international routes.

Organisation: Santo António dos Olivais Parish Council

Support: Institute of Medieval Studies; Coimbra City Council; Coimbra Higher Institute of Engineering; Tourism Centre of Portugal, Pastelaria Vasco da Gama

Location:  Auditorium, Coimbra Higher Institute of Engineering – ISEC
R. Pedro Nunes, Quinta da Nora, 3030-199 Coimbra
GPS: 40 11.575 – 8 24.698

Registration: by email to secretaria@jfsao.pt
(Registration is free of charge but limited to the places available)