2-370-785 - Samuel Magal/Sites & Photos/Heritage Images

Facade of the Monastery of Alcobaca, Alcobaca, Portugal, 2009. The Monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobaca was founded in 1153 by Afonso Henriques (Afonso I) the first King of Portugal. It was one of the most powerful abbeys of the Cistercian Order. The west facade of the monastery church is in majestic Cistercian Gothic style with later Baroque embellishments. The chapter house, connected to the cloister by a Romanesque-style portal, is filled with Baroque statues created by the monks. 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.