MACHADO DE CASTRO NATIONAL MUSEUM

This museum is a beautiful architectural achievement where contemporary and ancient styles are combined. Located in the former episcopal palace of the city, it is named after Joaquim Machado de Castro (1731-1822), a royal sculptor. It is one of the most remarkable in Portugal for its collection of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, sacred art and textiles showing the importance of the church and the different schools that influenced Portuguese art from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. The sacred art room is breathtaking because of the beautiful sculptures on display and the magnificent play of light and shadow that makes them almost come alive. The statue of Santa Isabel is a great example! Don't miss the views of Coimbra that the architect has set up in the museum through glass windows that overlook key sites in Coimbra, including the cathedral.

The Roman crypt can also be visited. The outdoor patio at the entrance offers a view of the city and the remains of an 11th-century Romanesque cloister, with its classic and harmonious "comtal" architecture.

The museum's restaurant, Loggia, offers a buffet as well as excellent and delicious sandwiches; the panoramic terrace is very pleasant in fine weather.

The crypt. This visit is a journey through a maze of underground passages, vaults, brick walls, and vestiges of different eras. You will feel like an explorer in this parallel world. It is connected to the street by a staircase on two floors. The first forum was built during the reign of Augustus, the second during that of Claudius. The ancient episcopal palace of the city is based on the cryptoportico of Aeminium (Coimbra in Roman times), more precisely on its forum, the civic, political, administrative and religious center of the city. This Roman city was founded almost 2000 years ago, when Octavian Caesar Augustus decided to reorganize Lusitania, then under the control of the Empire, because it was the crossroads between two via romana(do cardo and do decamanus), of which you will see a milestone in the crypt! To the north, there are the remains of the basilica that dominated the forum, dedicated to the cult of Rome and to the imperial family (of Emperor Claudius). To the south, a building symmetrical to the basilica closed the forum. Its function has not been discovered, but the rings embedded in the walls dating from the eighteenth century prove that the cavalry of the episcopal palace was built over it