By signing the “Scientiae thesaurus mirabilis”, king D. Dinis created the oldest University in the country and one of the oldest in the world. Dating from 1290, the document gave birth to the General Study, which was recognized in the same year by Pope Nicholas IV. A century after the birth of the nation, the University of Coimbra sprang to life. It started in Lisbon and, in 1308, was transferred to Coimbra, alternating between the two cities until 1537, when it settled permanently in the city by the Mondego river.
Initially confined to the Royal Palace, the University sprawled out over Coimbra, changing its landscape and turning it into the university city, expanded with the creation of Campus II, dedicated to engineering and technology, and a third campus devoted to Health Sciences. Studying at the University of Coimbra (UC) is to continue the history of the intellectual matrix of the country, which has educated the most prominent personalities of culture, science, and national politics.
With over seven centuries, the University of Coimbra has a unique tangible and intangible heritage, is a fundamental piece in the history of European and world scientific culture. A heritage that the UC has submitted to UNESCO as World Heritage Site.
