Touring University of Coimbra, Portugal

Sunday, September 29, 2024

Since Inna had pre-purchased tickets to the 15:00 English-speaking Tour of the University of Coimbra Library, we ordered Uber to take us there on time.

Arriving on schedule, we waited for our tour to begin at the Ticket Office. Our guide, Patricia, was excellent (with perfect British English pronunciation). She provided us with headsets to hear explanations as we wandered around and took photos.

Patricia answered our numerous questions and  provided some interesting tidbits:

Questions regarding the Coimbra University:

• Coimbra is one of the oldest universities but has no residence halls.
• Coimbra University tuition is 850.00 euros per year for Portuguese citizens (but does not include residence, food, or books)
• The university used to have two private jail cells for students who broke the code (i.e., ignoring the 6:00 pm curfew), but this is no longer true. We visited the solitary confinement cells.
• A guard accompanied jailed students to class and returned them to their cells after class.

Questions regarding the Coimbra University Library:

• The library did not allow the use of candles, so all reading had to be done using natural light (now electric lights are used)
• This was done to prevent accidental fires (as library books will burn quickly)
• The library still uses bats to kill moths (which pray on old books)
• The library used to employ cats to catch mice (to prevent mice from feasting on old books)
• Many ancient books are still being digitized (700 have already been done)
• Qualified academics must request a book, and someone will take it out (once cannot just come in and grab any book he likes)
• No photos are allowed in the library (to protect the books).
• Each month, a shelf of books is removed, and they are placed in a unique environmental chamber to de-oxidize the books (helps to protect them)

The library, with its gold-leaf bookshelves, looked stunning—one of the most beautiful I had ever seen.

University of Coimbra Report

Highlights

• Touring the stunning Coimbra University Library
• Our tour guide, Patricia, spoke excellent English and answered our questions.

Lowlights

• Not allowed to take photos in the main library