Quinta das Lágrimas
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Quinta das Lágrimas is a historical place in Coimbra, Portugal. Its 20 acres of gardens, enriched with rare and exotic species of trees, form a botanic museum.
[edit] History
Quinta das Lágrimas is not only a refined Hotel de Charme. It is famous for the history of a medieval legend of love. It was here, in the XIV century, that the forbidden love of Prince D. Pedro and a beautiful Galician damsel called Inês de Castro was dramatically played out.
During the 14th century the woods in the Quinta were the hunting ground of the royal family that lived in Coimbra. This was the place where Pedro and Inês met, always secretly, so that nothing and no one would disturb their love. Inês, an extremely beautiful woman, lived in the Convent of Santa-Clara-a-Velha, located about 500 meters away from the Quinta. She lived there because Queen D. Isabel had decreed in her will that any descendants of hers could live there if they so wished.
In Quinta das Lágrimas there is a stream of water called dos amores (of loves) because it ends at the Convent. This stream would carry the love letters from Pedro to Inês. The legend says that Pedro placed his letters in small wooden boats that then transported them by the stream into the delicate hands of Inês.
According to the legend, it was in Quinta das Lágrimas that Inês cried for the last time, while being pierced by the daggers of the three noblemen who had been ordered to kill her, by D. Afonso IV, King of Portugal. Her tears started the Fonte das Lágrimas (Fountain of Tears), where her blood was forever engraved on the stone. When Pedro took her body to the monument in Alcobaça he ordered a burial march where the entire nobility had to participate. Once in Alcobaça, it is said that Inês was crowned and the nobles were obliged to kiss her hand.
The love between D. Pedro and D. Inês, her tragic death by political reasons, D. Pedro's proclamation of D. Inês as a Queen even after her death, and most of all, his faith in the final encounter with the woman he most loved, are great moments in the History of Portugal and part of Portuguese History.
The love of Pedro and Inês, has survived through the centuries in the works of authors such as Camões, Victor Hugo, Ezra Pound, Stendhal or Agustina Bessa-Luis.
[edit] Hotel
The Quinta das Lágrimas Hotel is a member of the Relais & Châteaux chain, which brings together many of the most beautiful, independent hotels de charme in the world.
The environment, the atmosphere and the service at Hotel Quinta das Lágrimas recreate the romanticism of past centuries, while offering all modern forms of comfort. Individually decorated spacious rooms, with direct access to the garden, provide an atmosphere of privacy. The sitting rooms, balcony and the Hotel library are both provide retiring places for reading and conversation. The cuisine of Quinta das Lágrimas is inspired by the manor's old recipes. It has swimming pool, golf academy, the gardens, spa and library.
