Monuments

This church, whose foundation dates back to before 1064, is an important part of Coimbra's Romanesque heritage.
In 1175, Estevão Martins ordered the church to be rebuilt, an act that was marked by the inscription that can be seen on the door. The cloister was enlarged and the collegiate church added at that time. The current building still retains the original Romanesque ground plan, as well as some other Romanesque features on the main door and the columns and capitals on the inside, which are decorated with fantastic animals and geometrical figures.

In the 16th century, major rebuilding work was undertaken on the inside of the church, which was divided into three naves. Two burial chapels were added at the side, one of them founded by Dona Guiomar, the aunt of the poet Sá de Miranda (1481-1558), and another dedicated to St. Mark. This latter chapel deserves special attention as it was the work of the sculptor Jean de Rouen, built in keeping with the high-quality Renaissance style being used in Coimbra at that time. On the south side of the church, we can see the chapel of the Barros family, with an interesting Manueline vaulted ceiling.

In the 17th century, the façade of the collegiate church was reformulated, whilst the chapel of Dona Guiomar was covered with narrative azulejos, carved and gilded woodwork and paintings, a characteristic combination of the Portuguese baroque.

During the 18th century, the Romanesque apse was replaced by a new chancel, where an altarpiece was placed in the rococo style and the church was covered with blue and white narrative azulejos dedicated to the theme of the Salvator Mundi.