Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha, Medieval monastery in Santa Clara e Castelo Viegas, Portugal
The Gothic church features three naves of equal height with large windows that allow natural light to fill the interior spaces.
Queen Isabel of Aragon commissioned the monastery's construction in 1314, replacing a small convent founded by Dona Mor Dias in 1286.
The monastery preserves a collection of everyday objects from the Poor Clare nuns, including porcelain, rosaries, and rings from their cloistered life.
The interpretive center contains exhibition halls, an auditorium, a store, and a cafe spread across 1,000 square meters of space.
Frequent floods from the Mondego River forced the nuns to elevate the ground floor repeatedly until they abandoned the monastery in 1677.
Location: Santa Clara e Castelo Viegas
Inception: 13 century
Architects: Domingos Domingues
Architectural style: Gothic architecture
Website: http://santaclaraavelha.drcc.pt/site
GPS coordinates: 40.20276,-8.43349
Latest update: May 18, 2025 17:07
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