The 2025 Morgan Europe Trip

April 28, 2025 The Great Power Outage of Portugal, Spain, and Southwest France!

Today was interesting to say the least. We returned to the University of Coimbra once again to go inside the buildings this time. The first time we went up on April 20th, we only saw the outside parts. Here's what the AI on Google said about the palace/university complex. (They are intertwined today.)

"Early History (10th Century):
The building began as a fortified structure during Islamic rule, serving as the governor's residence in Coimbra.

Royal Residence (1131):
After the Christian reconquest, it was transformed into the Royal Palace, becoming the first Portuguese royal household and the home of Afonso Henriques, the founding king of Portugal.

University Moves In (1544):
King John III moved the university permanently to Coimbra, and it was established within the Royal Palace complex, marking a significant shift in the building's purpose.

Adaptation and Expansion:
The palace was adapted and expanded to accommodate the needs of the university, with various buildings within the complex becoming integral to academic life, according to uc.pt.

Notable Spaces:
The palace houses spaces like the Great Hall of Acts, formerly the Throne Room where King John I was proclaimed king, and the Armory, which later housed the Academic Royal Guard's weapons.

Ongoing Legacy:
The Royal Palace continues to be a central part of the University of Coimbra, housing various administrative offices and academic facilities, according to uc.pt."

We started off in the science buildings that were a hybrid of museum/classroom that housed an assortment of collections. The first was your standard geology collection.

Amber always sparks a conversation about Jurassic Park.

Simon recognizing some things he's learned in class at GVSU.

A box of replica diamonds.

We found our family stone. We didn't know we had one!

The next collection is titled "Cabinet of Curiosities". The pamphlet says, "It aims to recreate the atmosphere of the old cabinets of curiosities of the late 17th and early 18th centuries."

We moved on to the Chemistry/Physics buildings. The pamphlet had this to say about the chemistry building. "The Chemistry Laboratory is the most important Portuguese neoclassical building. Built in the 18th century to teach experimental chemistry during the reform of the University started by the Marquess of Pombal, it typifies the enlightenment ideal of practical science education."

The Chemistry/Physics building.

Pigments for paint.

A lecture hall.

Physics gadgets and gizmos.

Explanation below.

When you back up beyond the point of focus, it flips the image, a reliable source told me. 😉

Rod giving an impromptu lecture!

It was right about this time that the entire Iberian Peninsula lost power! The last rooms of the self guided tour of this building were in the dark and they didn't want us using our phone flashlights (not sure why, except that flash photography is never allowed), so we moved on to the Palace. At the time, the workers thought it was just their old building, but as we moved on, we were told it was the whole city, and it wasn't until later that we learned it was a massive power outage of two-plus countries! We were out of power for about 6 hours. The most disturbing part was the loss of phone service. (It's two days later that I am posting this and the news still doesn't seem to know exactly why the power went out.) We are VERY thankful it wasn't a travel day for us.

So let's move on to the Palace and original spaces of the college. My pictures are without lights, but most turned out anyway.

"This room is thus named because it was the first line of defense in the protection of the Princes, given their importance in the line of succession to the throne. Later, this space was also used to store the weapons of the old Academic Royal Guard. Today, they are used by the Archers (guards) during solemn academic ceremonies, such as the awarding of Honoris Causa doctoral degrees, the swearing in of the Rector and the solemn opening of the academic year."

The Armory.

"This hall is the most important space at the University of Coimbra. It was the old Throne Room, and was the residence of the kings of the first Portuguese dynasty between 1143 and 1383. Important events in the history of Portugal took place here, such as the proclamation of King John I in 1385.After the University opened in the Palace of Schools, this space became the main hall of the University of Coimbra, where the most important ceremonies of the academic life took place."

The Great Hall of Acts (Original Throne Room)

Looking toward the back of the room.

"During its existence as the royal palace, this space served as the king's quarters, but was later transformed into a venue where the graduates take their examinations. The examination consisted of an oral test taken at dusk. It was a private event, that is, only the student to be assessed and the professors could be in the room. This examination continued up until the second half of the 18th century."

The ceiling dating back to 1701.

Portraits of 38 rectors from the 16th-18th centuries.

The skull of King Dinis, a man of great influence and king for over 40 years, was studied and his face recreated with modern science. This was pretty cool!

The next stop was St. Michael's Chapel, erected in the late 15th and early 16th century. The interior of the chapel are covered with tiles from 1663.

The ceiling.

It was very crowded.

The organ pipes.

The sanctuary.

Tiles on the wall.

The final attraction was by far the best! It is a world renowned library. Surprisingly, it didn't smell like old, musty books.

"The Baroque Library is the best example of Portuguese Baroque and is considered to be one of the richest European libraries. It is also known as the Joanina Library in honour and memory of King John V, who authorised its construction and whose portrait, painted by Domenico Duprà, distinctly dominates the space inside the Noble Floor.

Construction on the Baroque Library was completed in 1728. It functioned as the University Library from 1777 until the first half of the 20th century.

It holds 60 thousand books, dating from the 16th century to the 18th century, on a wide variety of topics that can still be consulted today."

We weren't allowed to take pictures, so here are some off the internet.