Monastery of Santa Maria de Cós

The Abbey of Friar Fernando, complying with the will of D. Sancho II, has sponsored the edification of one of the most important female monasteries of the Cistercian Order, the Monastery of Santa Maria de Cós. It was founded on April 20th 1279.

Located in the surroundings of Alcobaça, the Monastery of Santa Maria de Cós was one of the wealthiest all-female monasteries in Portugal in the 16th century. In 2021 the Monastery of Santa Maria de Cós was classified National Monument.
The current Monastery structure is the result of the works carried out in the last half of the 17th century. Worth-highlighting are the façade’s portal dating back to 1671 and the sculptures of the main characters of the Cistercian Order: St. Benedict and St. Bernard.
The impressive simplicity contrasts deeply with the interior dating back to the 1st Portuguese Baroque.
Ceiling painting of the Church and the Sacristy is a unique example among Cistercian Abbeys in Portugal and Spain. The decoration of the 5 rows of the coffered dome is a characteristic of the sacred painting movement, famous in the 18th century.
A cloister grid in gilded wood divides the Church. The main altar in gilded wood of the late 17th century displays a sculpture of the Holy Family in the tribune.
The church is totally covered by pattern tiles and disparate figures of the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century. There is also a dazzling row of chairs with 106 seats that we can imagine occupied by nuns.
The history of the life of Bernard de Clairvaux is depicted in ten panels of blue and white tiles.

Free guided visits
Tuesday to Friday: 09h30-12h30 | 14h00-18h00
Saturday:14h00-18h00
Closes on Sunday and on Monday

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