1. COIMBRA
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COIMBRA
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2. Coimbra is a city in the municipality of Coimbra
in Portugal. Although it served as the nation's capital
during the High Middle Ages, it is better-known for
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its university, the University of Coimbra, which is one
of the oldest in Europe and the oldest academic
institution in the Portuguese-speaking world.
According 2001 Census, provided by
the Portuguese Instituto Nacional de
Estatística (English: National Institute of
Statistics), the city proper had a population
of 101,069. The city of Coimbra is one of
the most important urban centres in
Portugal (after the much larger cities
of Lisbon and Porto), playing a central role
in the northern-central littoral and interior of
the country. It is the principal centre in
the Centro region, the District of Coimbra
and the Baixo Mondego subregion.
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3. The city, located over a hill by the river Mondego, was
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called Aeminium in Roman times. During late Antiquity it
became the seat of a Diocesis substituting the
nearby city of Conímbriga, which had been captured and
partially plundered by invading Germanic peoples in 465 and
468, adopting later the name of the destroyed city
After the Roman city of Civita Aeminium, between 586 and 640, the Visigoths altered the name of the
town to Emínio. The Moors occupied Coimbra(Arabic: Qulumriyah) around the year 711,
turning it into an important commercial link between the Christian North and Muslim South. The city
was reconquered by Ferdinand I of Leónin 1064. After being reconquered by the Christians, Coimbra
became the capital of a new County (County of Coimbra), governed by
the Mozarab Sesnando (Sisnando Davides), later incorporated into theCounty of Portugal. In the mid-
12th century, the first Portuguese King, Afonso Henriques, turned Coimbra into the capital of the
new Kingdom, a condition the city would keep until the year 1255. Many important monuments of the
city date from this early period, like the Old Cathedral, the Church of St. James (Igreja de Santiago) and
the Santa Cruz Monastery, which was the most important Portuguese monastic institution at the time
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4. Geography
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The historic city of Coimbra is located in central Portugal, 120 km south of Porto, 195 km north of Lisbon.
One of Portugal's biggest crossroads, Coimbra is served by the A1, the main highway of Portugal. It is set by
the Mondego River, about 40 km east of Figueira da Foz, a neighbour coastal city with several beaches,
summer and seaport facilities on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. Just outside the municipality, there are also
several picturesque mountain towns such as Lousã and Penacova and spa towns and villages such
asLuso, Buçaco and Curia.
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5. Education
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The main square and buildings of the historic block of the University of Coimbra
Coimbra has been called A cidade dos estudantes (The city of the students) or Lusa-
Atenas (Lusitan-Athens), mainly because it is the site of the oldest and one of the
largest universities in Portugal – the University of Coimbra, a public university whose origins can be
traced back to the 13th century. Nowadays, it has students from 70 different nationalities; almost
10% of its students are foreigners, making it Portugal's most international university.
Besides that, there are also some other schools and institutes of higher education in the city:
the Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, a public polytechnic institute; the Escola Superior de
Enfermagem de Coimbra, a public nursing school; and some private higher education institutions
such as the Instituto Superior Miguel Torga; the Instituto Superior Bissaya Barreto; the Escola
Universitária Vasco da Gama and finally, the Escola Universitária das Artes de Coimbra, an art
school.
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6. Culture
Coimbra fado
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Coimbra fado is a highly stylized genre of fado born
in the city of Coimbra. Guitar player Carlos
Paredes and singer Zeca Afonso, are among its most
renowned and historical figures.
Student festivals
Coimbra is also known for its university students' festivals.
Two are held every year. The first one, Latada or Festa das
Latas ("The Tin Can Parade") is a homecoming parade that
occurs at the beginning of the academic year, and is a welcome
to the new university students (Caloiros).
Music acts
Coimbra has a lively music scene that caters for most tastes with lots of festivals and events beyond the
academic festivals and the traditional Coimbra fado genre. It boasts several live music venues, and some of the
most popular club nights and music festivals in Portugal.
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7. Sport
Coimbra is home to Associação Académica de
Coimbra - O.A.F. (known simply as Académica), a
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professional football autonomous organism of the
University of Coimbra students' union Associação
Académica de Coimbra, founded in 1872 and having
its current statute of autonomous football organization
since the 1980s. Académica football team plays in
the Portuguese Liga at the Estádio Cidade de
Coimbra. Clube de Futebol União de Coimbra,
another sports club with tradition in the city, owner of a
football team which plays in the Portuguese Second
Division, is other important club of Coimbra.
The 30,210-seater Estádio Cidade de Coimbra (Coimbra City Stadium).
Coimbra also has one of the largest multisports
clubs in Portugal: the University of Coimbra's students'
union Associação Académica de Coimbra, includes
sections dedicated to a wide array of sports such as
rugby, volleyball, handball, rink hockey, basketball,
baseball, tennis, swimming, rowing, among many
others.
Academic Association of Coimbra
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8. ESOL 16-19 New Frontiers
Portugal's first king, Afonso
The poet Luis Vaz de
Henriques, is buried in the Santa Carlos Seixas one of Portugal's
Camoes is linked with the
Cruz Monastery. notable sons: born and raised in
city of Coimbra.
Coimbra
Ponte do Açude, one of the busiest
A view of Coimbra's University Hill as Praça do Comércio (Commerce Square) in
bridges over Mondego river.
seen from the Mondego River. the Baixa of Coimbra.
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9. ESOL 16-19 New Frontiers
The Manueline façade
The west façade of
of theMonastery of The Cathedral of Sé Nova
Coimbra'sOld Cathedral (Sé
Santa Cruz, final resting-
Velha), one of the best-
place of the first
preserved Romanesquebuilding
Portuguese monarch
s in Portugal
(Afonso Henriques).
The interior stacks of the Joanina Library, one of the oldest collections in
Portugal
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