Former Refectory of Santa Cruz Monastery, Salada da Cidade of Câmara Municipal de Coimbra.
Santa Cruz Monastery was founded in 1131 by the Order of the Canons of St. Augustine, dating back to the early Romanesque church in the 12th century. At the beginning of the 16th century, King Manuel I ordered it to be demolished, together with the cloister and chapter house, as it was ancient and degraded, and an extensive campaign of works was carried out that gave the building its current appearance. The work, which involved the best artists in the kingdom, encompassed a new church with a vaulted nave, flanked by two towers on the façade, the portal, the main cloister and chapter house. Alongside this work, the remains of the first two kings of Portugal were transferred from their primitive sarcophagi to new ones – Manueline sculptural works by Nicolau de Chanterene, located in the main chapel. With the reform of the Canons of Saint Augustine, carried out in the reign of King João III (1521-1557), more work was carried out, with the singular Manga Cloister at the northeast of the church as a highlight. In the 20th century, some structures were demolished to the north to allow Avenida Sá da Bandeira to be opened up, some structures were demolished and the Manga Cloister was opened up. In the present day, beside its cultural and diocesan activities, the monastery houses the services of the Coimbra City Council and the Central Regional Directorate of Culture.
