Alcobaça Monastery in central Portugal is a Cistercian abbey founded by King Afonso I, the first king of Portugal, to give thanks for his conquest of Santarém from the Moors. It was one of the first Gothic buildings in the country, with a plain, soaring church modeled on Clairvaux Abbey in France. The monks of Alcobaça were important landowners, and became known for their learning, farming and a scriptorium. The church contains the tombs of King Pedro I and Inês de Castro, whose tragic love story is among the best known in Portuguese history. The monastery was dissolved in the 1830s after the liberal revolution, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Before and after
- from 1185 to 1333Kamakura period
- from 1185 to 1396Second Bulgarian Empire
- 1186Construction of Studenica monastery
- c. 1187Origins of Stockholm
- from 1187 to 1833Construction of Alcobaça Monastery
- from 20 September 1187 to 2 October 1187Conquest of Jerusalem
- from 1189 to 1192Third Crusade
- from 28 August 1189 to 12 July 1191Siege of Acre
- c. 1191Origins of Bern
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 537 CEConstruction of Hagia Sophia
- 802 CEConstruction of Angkor Wat
- from 2 February 962 CE to 6 August 1806Holy Roman Empire
- 1193Origins of Chernobyl
- from 29 July 1299 to 17 November 1922Ottoman Empire
- 1373Construction of Leaning Tower of Pisa
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 12th century.