Statue Room at the Monastery of Alcobaça
The monastery of Alcobaça was one of the most important monasteries in Europe back then. It is also considered to be Portugal’s largest church, which I can plainly see. The church is quite bare considering that it is a gothic church. There weren’t too many seats here as most have already been removed. The church is probably more important now as a museum than its original purpose. When I was looking around the church, I was wondering if that was it. Did I come all the way here to see this practically empty church. Sure, it has a nice exterior but there was hardly anything to see inside the church.
Blue Tile Designs in the Monastery of Alcobaça
Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Off to the side of the church building was the museum tour which would bring visitors all around the monastery complex. There is an small entrance fee here. Additionally, visitors who intend to visit the major churches nearby can purchase a bulk tour ticket. This will allow entry into the monasteries of Alcobaça, Bathalha and Tomar. Fortunately, I already had every intention to visit these three monasteries. All three of them are UNESCO World Heritage sites anyway, so I will be dropping by soon. The monastery of Alcobaça is a good introduction for the importance of these monasteries as well as the architectural style they represent.
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