Alcobaca

Alcobaca Monastery (there should be onje of those little squiggly things under the second c) was founded in the 12th century by King Alfonso 1 in recognition of a victory over the Moors. Under the Cistercian order it became very rich and powerful and its church, the largest in Portugal, is wonderfully spacious and simple. The two-storey cloisters adjoining the church are irresistible to the photographer. I like this stone tablet with its Latin inscription and my daughter?s hand.

There is a selection of pictures from Alcabaca here and from the nearby monastery of Batalha here