Coimbra

This wonderful card was sent by susanaportugal from Portugal, signed in the back by all the participants in the 3rd Postcrossing meeting in Portugal. Unfortunely I couldn't be there. I guess that's the price I have to pay for living in an island - it gets hard to go to the mainland. Anyway, it was such a great surprise to get this card!

The card shows Coimbra, one of the oldest cities in Portugal. It's a college town, growing around the University, one of the oldest in Europe and the oldest in Portugal. The specific site shown in the card is the "Largo da Portagem" (english: Square of Toll). It owes its name to the fact that this was the place where the taxes were collected over the goods that arrived in the city, coming from the South.

In the picture you can see the square of Joaquim António de Aguiar, a notorious 19th century portuguese politician born in Coimbra. In 30th of May, 1834 he issued a law that extinguished all religious orders in Portugal. Due to this he was nicknamed "O mata-Frades" (english: "the friar killer").

I've visited Coimbra a while ago but I don't remember going to this square. Anyways, the city is quite beautiful, full of history and legends. A place you should visit...

Source: google.