The Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Nova, also known as the Convent of Queen Santa Isabel, was erected in the 17th century to replace the old medieval monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha, which was subject to periodic flooding from the Mondego River. It was a true Franciscan cloistered monastery, not just a convent.
It is an important repository of Portuguese art from the 14th to the 18th centuries and houses the relics of Queen Santa Isabel, the founder of the old monastery.
The convent of Santa Clara in Coimbra was founded in the early 14th century. Santa Isabel of Aragon, Queen of Portugal, wife of King Dinis of Portugal, was the main benefactor of the institution in its early days, having chosen it as her burial place.
The constant flooding that affected the original monastery led to the decision to build a new building for the Clarissan community. Thus, the construction of the new convent began in 1649, with a design by João Torriano, a Benedictine friar, chief engineer of the kingdom, and professor of mathematics at the University of Coimbra. Several convent buildings were completed by 1677 when the last nuns moved in. The church was completed and consecrated in 1696.
The grand cloister, built by the Hungarian Carlos Mardel, was funded by King John V of Portugal in 1733.
