Monastery in Alcobaca, Portugal pictures from europe photos on webshots

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Uploaded by: arina223

In album: Wonders of Gothic Architecture in P...

In Webshots channel: travel
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Date uploaded: Apr 12, 2007

The Monastery of Alcoba�a was built following an early Gothic style, and represents the arrival of this style in Portugal. The church and other main buildings were constructed from 1178 until the end of the 13th century. The church was consecrated in 1252. The first architect(s) of the church, most probably of French origin, followed the design of the Abbey of Clairvaux (now mostly demolished), which had been founded by Bernard of Clairvaux in 1115. The church is a Latin-cross building with pronounced transept arms and three aisles. The lateral aisles of the nave are as high (20 metres) as the central one, which together with the relative slenderness of the church (17 metres) and large length (106 metres) conveys an impression of monumentality. Alcoba�a remains, after 800 years, the largest Portuguese church.

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