2-370-778 - Samuel Magal/Sites & Photos/Heritage Images

Courtyard and view of the cloisters, Monastery of Alcobaca, Alcobaca, Portugal, 2009. The Monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobaca was founded in 1153 by Afonso Henriques (Afonso I of Portugal). It was one of the most powerful abbeys of the Cistercian order. The beautiful Gothic Cloisters of Silence were built during the reign of King Dinis (Denis) I in the late 13th century. The builders were Portuguese architects Domingo Domingues and Master Diogo. The upper level of the cloisters was added in the 16th century. One of the Baroque bell towers of the monastery church, which were built in the early 18th century, can be seen in the background. The remnants of the monastery library, including hundreds of medieval manuscripts, are now kept in the National Library in Lisbon. Alcobaca Monastery was designated a World Heritage Site in 1989.