Alcobaça: The Monastery Behind Portugal’s Most Famous Love Story
Around 120 km north of Lisbon, Alcobaça is home to one of Portugal’s most important monasteries and one of the most famous love stories in Portuguese history.
The Monastery of Alcobaça was founded in 1153 by Portugal’s first king, D. Afonso Henriques, and has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1989.
But for many Portuguese people, Alcobaça is also closely connected with the story of Pedro and Inês.
♥️The story of Pedro and Inês♥️
Prince Pedro fell in love with Inês de Castro, a noblewoman from Galicia.
Their relationship soon became a political problem.
Inês belonged to the powerful Castro family, and her brothers became close to Pedro. King Afonso IV, Pedro’s father, feared that their influence could involve Portugal in the political conflicts of neighbouring Castile.
Pedro and Inês also had children, which created more concerns about the future succession to the Portuguese throne.
In 1355, King Afonso IV ordered Inês to be killed.
Pedro became king two years later.
He later declared that he and Inês had secretly married and ordered two extraordinary tombs for them inside Alcobaça Monastery.
Today, the tombs are considered masterpieces of medieval sculpture.
One of the most beautiful details is their position.
Pedro and Inês are buried facing each other, traditionally explained as allowing them to see each other again on the Day of Resurrection.
Alcobaça can work very well as a day trip from Lisbon, especially if you have a car or private driver.
You can also combine it with Nazaré, Batalha or Óbidos.
If you enjoy history, architecture and places with a good story behind them, Alcobaça is definitely worth adding to your plans.
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