Cultural and historical places to visit in Leiria
I have never been too much about culture and history if I’m honest. But I also feel that when you move in to a new place you kinda “owe” the place that bit that you will learn some things about the local culture and history. I haven’t visited all of these places yet so my knowledge is mostly just basic information found from the Internet. Once again I’m doing this part of the guide because we are all different and some people actually are interested in culture and history. Well, here are some places you might be interested in visiting.
Castle of Leiria
This is possibly the most well-known landmark in the city of Leiria. Always the first one to pop out when having this discussion about culture and history. It really is a prestige view especially in the evenings when it’s dark and it’s been lighted. From the castle itself you are able to view the city in a panorama view and the view is quite a bit different from every compass point.
The castle of Leiria is a medieval castle artistic and architecturally representative of the various phases of construction and reconstruction since its foundation until the twentieth century.
Structures that make up the architectural complex: Royal Palace fifteenth, Keep, Church of Sta Maria Pena, space of the former Collegiate, medieval barns and outer walls.
Conquered from the Moors by D. Afonso Henriques in 1135 the castle was to be reconquered by the Muslims five years later returning to the hand of Christians again in 1142. But the struggle for its possession was far from over having suffered new Islamic attack. Because of so many struggles, Sancho I resolve to build it was in 1190.
In 1325 D. Dinis build the castle keep which after some adjustments is now a small museum.
It is thought that the Church of Our Lady of Pena and the Town Episcopal also have been built by King Dinis. This will have been the king who spent more time in Leiria along with his wife Queen Isabel. Thanks to these kings were born many of the stories and legends that surround Leiria.
Several centuries later, the castle and the city, yet were to be damaged, with the French invasion, becoming almost abandoned. Worth the effort League of Friends of the Castle and the famous Swiss architect, Ernesto Korrodi that there performed restoration work.
On a visit to the Castle cannot fail to observe the magnificent view over the city of Leiria, from the Alcazaba, one of the most beautiful rooms of Leiria Castle.
Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa
Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa alias the stadium of Leiria was one of those cultural places that I definitely wanted to visit during my stay. We were a bit lucky and got inside the stadium in one afternoon. The workers inside the stadium were nice and polite and I was able to take some photos and actually see the facilities which once hosted EURO 2004 and also UD Leiria’s short run in UEFA Cup.
Estadio Dr Magalhães Pessoa was built in 2003 for EURO 2004 and was used by the local team U.D. Leiria after that. After falling into a financial disaster the local team no longer can afford using the stadium due to the high rents. The stadium is now rented for private occasions and concerts etc. From the outside the stadium looks nice and it is worth paying a visit as football is the thing in Portugal. The stadium is almost at the city centre.
Even though the stadium has seen better days it still is a place to see for any sports fan. The place still holds big occasions such as athletics competitions. The next one will be European Cup Winter Throwing in this march and that is something that I might be interested in seeing.
M|i|mo
http://mimo.cm-leiria.pt/seccao/servico-educativo-7
Museu da imagem em movimento aka the museum of motion picture is located in the centre of the city of Leiria. This museum is the only one in Portugal and if you’re interested in the history of motion picture then it might be worth paying a visit. Here’s the location for you:
The m | i | mo , was born in 1996, during the celebration of 100 Years of Cinema in Portugal. The collection gathered since then, leads to the formation of the Museum were allowed in the House meeting of 22 January 1997 and was asked to design an exposure draft that would fit the space of the Theatre José Lúcio da Silva. Simultaneously was up doing the research and systematic collection of estate to integrate the permanent exhibition, with particular emphasis on the Pre-Cinema.
The draft was taken Chamber Meeting on 23 September 1998 and since then have been developed several initiatives including the organization of exhibitions and production of various catalogs with the main objective the dissemination of the Museum always looking for possible involvement the community. Initially termed as Image Museum, in 1999 it was felt necessary to change the name to Museum of Moving Image since it responds better to the content of the permanent exhibition.
Teatro José Lúcio Da Silva
The theatre was founded in 1800s and it is still active, offering live music, plays and such things. The problem here is that it is all in Portuguese so especially the plays won´t give you the maximum satisfaction if you don´t know the language.
More info about shows and history can be found here (Portuguese):
https://www.teatrojlsilva.pt/#/home/
And here is the location:
Capela de Nossa Senhora da Ençarnação
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Incarnation or Shrine of Our Lady of the Incarnation was built on the hill of San Gabriel in 1588. You are able to reach it by car but it is also possible to use the staircase with 162 steps. On top of the hill you´ll have a panoramic view of the city and you can also see the castle.
This is a sight that I am able to see all the time from my own window in Casulo and that is why I also wanted to add this place to my blog.
Museu do Papel
https://pt-br.facebook.com/pages/Moinho-do-Papel/
The paper mill museum is located near the centre of the city of Leiria.
It is a museum on the learning of traditional arts and crafts related to the role and the cereal and results of a project of recovery and rehabilitation carried out by a multidisciplinary team (from the recognized architect Álvaro Siza Vieira the city of technical), in order to preserve the traditional arts and crafts memory inherent in this socio-cultural heritage including milling of grain (corn, wheat and rye) and production of olive oil and paper.
This is one that I haven’t visited yet. Here is the location:
Sé de Leiria
The church Sé de Leiria was built between 1550 and 1574 under the project architect Afonso Álvares. This church was built because of the small capacities of the previous churches in the city and the first stone was planted in august 1550. The church was partially destroyed first time during the Lisbon earthquake in 1755 and another time in the Napoleonic wars in 1811 when the French troops invaded Portugal and set the church on fire which destroyed much of the interior ornamentation.
The church combines the styles Mannerist and Baroque so the facade has a heavy cold look and the interior is simple and has two sets of large and robust pillars and 3 ships decorated with arches, emphasizing the simplicity and harmony of the church, influenced by Counter-Reformation.
This is an easy place to find as it is located almost in the centre of the city:
It doesn’t look like much from the outside but inside it is a beautiful place:
Nearby:
Batalha Monastery
The Batalha Monastery is located 12,5 kilometers south from the city of Leiria. It took over hundred years and 15 different architects to build the Batalha Monastery. The building process started in 1386 as a thank you for Virgin Mary helping Portugal to win the Castillians in the battle of Aljubarrota in 1385, fulfilling a promise of King John I of Portugal. The battle put an end to the crisis of 1383-1385. The building process was finished in 1517.
Architecturally thinking the monastery is combination of different Gothic styles because of the long building process and different architects actually doing the job. Even though some people don’t enjoy the fact that the monastery is basically surrounded with moderh hotels and such stuff they are always able to trust on the monastery itself to impress: they can always enjoy the interesting homes of the 18th century, the “guillotine” windows and the magnificent Manueline portal of the main church. It is one of the most fascinating pieces of Gothic and Manueline architecture within the country.
Alcobaça Monastery
The Albobaça Monastery is located about 35 kilometers south from the city of Leiria. The constructing work begun in 1178 25 years after Cistercian monks arrived in the Alcobaça and was finished in 1252. The finished church and monastery were the first truly Gothic buildings in Portugal, and the church was the largest in Portugal. The last touch in the mediaeval ensemble was given in the late 13th century, when King Dinis I ordered the construction of the Gothic cloister, the Cloister of Silence.
During the reign of Manuel I a second floor was added to the cloister and a new sacristy was also built, following the characteristic Portuguese late Gothic known as “Manueline”. The monastery was further enlarged in the 18th century, with the addition of a new cloister and towers to the church, although the medieval structure was mostly preserved. In the period of Baroque, the monks were famous of their clay sculptures which of many are still inside the monastery. Elaborate tiles and altarpieces completed the decoration of the church.
The Lisbon Earthquake did not harm the monastery significantly but during the Napoleonic wars in 1800s more damage occurred. The French troops looted the library and in addition they robbed the tombs and stole and burnt part of the inner decoration of the church. In 1834, with the dissolution of monastic life in Portugal, the last monks were ordered to leave the monastery.
Nowadays the Alcobaça Monastery is one of the main historic tourist destinations in Portugal. In 1989 it was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
