Paços da Universidade ou Paços das Escolas, Royal palace at Sé Nova district, Coimbra, Portugal.
The Paços da Universidade is a palace in Coimbra that combines Gothic and Baroque architectural styles across multiple floors, with grand halls, ceremonial rooms, and decorated corridors throughout. The complex displays different building phases and includes a chapel plus numerous rooms used by the university.
The palace was built in the late 1300s as a residence for King João I and was converted into the main building of the University of Coimbra in 1597. This transformation shaped its role as an academic center for the centuries that followed.
The palace houses the ceremonial Sala Grande dos Atos, where academic traditions and graduation celebrations of the University of Coimbra have taken place since medieval times. This room remains the heart of the university's formal events and shows how deeply the building is tied to student life.
Visitors can explore the palace throughout the day with guided tours available through the various historical rooms and chapel. It helps to wear sturdy shoes since the stairs and halls have uneven surfaces in many places.
The Porta Férrea from 1634 is a monumental entrance gate decorated with statues representing academic disciplines and royal figures. This carefully crafted entrance shows how royal power and academic learning were linked at the time it was built.
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