Alcobaça - 28 de Abril de 2008

For those who don't know, Alcobaça has Portugal's largest church, Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça, founded in 1153. This church is linked to a tragic event, I would say even to some kind of obsession maybe triggered by grief. Among those buried in the church are the "tragic lovers" Kind Pedro and his murdered mistress Inês. Pedro, son and heir of Afonso IV had to marry Constantza, Infanta of Castile, even though he was in love with a lady at court, Inês de Castro. When Constantza died, Pedro went to live with Inês in Coimbra but convinced that she was a danger for Portugal, Afonso IV had her murdered. After his death though, Pedro took revenge, killed her killers and had Inês's corpse exhumated and crowned. He also compelled his court to kneel before Inês and kiss her decomposed hand. The kind insisted that their tombs face each other so that his first sight on Judgement Day would be of his beloved. Impressive, romantic but freaky story.
This is one of my favorite places and the church is absolutely amazing, gracious, I would say baroque and beautiful.