The Monastery of Alcobaça

• Part of Scala’s prestigious series on Portugal’s most important historic monuments
• Lavishly illustrated with photographs, drawings and building plans

Founded in 1153, the Monastery of Alcobaça became the largest church in Portugal and one of the most powerful of the Cistercian order. Among its many treasures are the impressive medieval tombs of King Pedro I and Ines de Castro, and the seventeenth-century terracotta statuary made by artist monks. Internationally acknowledged for the austerity and purity of its architecture, the Monastery became a World Heritage Site in 1985. Its art and architecture is explored in detail in this lavish guide, with colour photographs, drawings and plans.