Coimbra

Coimbra, town in west central Portugal and capital of Coimbra District, on the Mondego River. The town is on the site of the ancient Roman city of Aeminium, but its name is derived from the bishopric of Conimbriga, which moved to the area in the 9th century. The Spanish hero known as El Cid captured the town from the Moors in 1064. Coimbra was the capital of Portugal from 1139 to about 1260.

The town is a centre for small industries but is best known for its university, the oldest in Portugal. The University of Coimbra was founded in 1290 by King Diniz, originally in Lisbon, and after several moves was permanently settled at Coimbra in 1537. The town also boasts a magnificent library, museums, an aqueduct rebuilt on Roman foundations, and a number of important churches and monasteries, among which are a 12th-century Romanesque cathedral and the 16th-century Church of Santa Cruz. Population 148,474 (2001).