More Roman Ruins

We had to check out of our hotel at noon but our train wasn’t departing until 6 so we stored our luggage at the hotel and made plans for the afternoon. On the university campus was a museum that had the longest name ever.....Machado de Castro Museum and Cryptoporticus of Aeminium. Quite a mouthful! It is housed in an elegant old bishop’s palace which was built on the exact location of an ancient Roman forum. There were several attendants/security who directed you through each area of the sprawling museum. First we were sent downstairs to the cryptoporticus (which is basically a basement) of the Roman city, Aeminium, that eventually became Coimbra. Because the city was built on a slope, the Romans built a two level basement to provide an even surface for building the forum. At 2,000 years old, it was the cleanest basement I have ever seen, unlike my own.

The museum section was a collection of religious sculptures, ceramics, art, etc. with most of it dating back several centuries. The senior admission was only €3 so overall it was a real bargain, especially for the rare Roman ruins.Read more