It is located in Largo da Feira in the extinct parish of Sé Nova, city and municipality of Coimbra, central Portugal
The Sé Nova, close to the University of Coimbra or the Colégio das Onze Mil Virgens (commonly known as Sé Nova) is of Jesuit origin, and where its clerics had settled in Coimbra in 1541.
The Church of the College of the Society of Jesus at the New Cathedral of Coimbra
The Church was designed by the official architect of the Jesuits at the end of the 16th century, Baltazar Álvares, who was inspired by the church of the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.
On August 7, 1598, the first stone was laid by Bishop D. Afonso Castelo Branco, which would become the Church of the Colégio da Companhia de Jesus.
In 1759 the Church was abandoned by the Jesuits, during the government of the Marquis of Pombal.
In the year 1772, the Capitular Vicar D. Francisco de Lopes Pereira Coutinho argued with King D. José that given the Church of the College of the Society of Jesus was abandoned, and the old Romanesque Cathedral was too small to accommodate the chapter corporation and the large number of Canons, as well as for liturgical functions.
On October 19, 1772, the Old Cathedral was legally transferred to the Church of the College of the Society of Jesus, then renamed Sé Nova.
The temple began to be built in 1598 with a project by the official architect of the Jesuits of Portugal Baltazar Álvares, influenced by the church of the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.
The works developed slowly, and worship only began in 1640, and the temple was only inaugurated in 1698.
In 1759, the Jesuits were banned from Portugal by the Marquis of Pombal, and in 1772 the episcopal seat of Coimbra was transferred so that the college could be larger and able to accommodate more people.
The facade of the church is marked by strong, simple lines and has four statues of Jesuit saints.
The upper part of the facade, completed only in the 18th century, has Baroque decoration and contrasts with the lower parts in the Mannerist style.
From an architectural point of view, the facade has two chains, the lower part is markedly Mannerist with strong lines and from which four statues of Jesuit saints stand out (Saint Ignatius, S. Luís Gonzaga, S. Francisco Xavier and S. Francisco de Borja).
In the 17th century, the upper part was finally completed in a Baroque architectural style, featuring the nation's coat of arms and two saints twice their natural size (S. Peter and S. Paul), in order to harmonize the differences in width between the upper and lower parts.
The interior consists of a single vaulted nave, with side chapels that communicate with each other (Chapel of the Baptismal Font, Chapel of the Resurrection, Chapel of St. Thomas of Vilanova, Chapel of the Sacrament, Chapel of St.
The decoration of the Sé Nova de Coimbra church is dominated by the huge and magnificent gilded altarpieces in the main chapel from the end of the 17th century, where a column stands out on each side and four niches that hold the images of four other saints (St. Ignatius, St. Francis of Borja, St. Francis Xavier, St. Stanislaus Kostka).
In the transept there are two other gilded altarpieces, one on the east side and the other on the west side.
At the beginning of the 18th century, coming from the Old Romanesque Cathedral, the main chapel's chair in exotic wood and bronze with two canvases by Manuel da Silva, and the baptismal font carved in Gothic style by Pero and Felipe Henriques stand out.
On the side there are exotic wood railings with turned or spiral balusters with cut-out bronzes that delimit the side chapels, and on some walls there are polychrome tiles.
On August 7, 1598, the first stone was laid by Bishop D. Afonso Castelo Branco, which would become the Church of the Colégio da Companhia de Jesus.
In 1759 the Church was abandoned by the Jesuits, during the government of the Marquis of Pombal.
In the year 1772, the Capitular Vicar D. Francisco de Lopes Pereira Coutinho argued with King D. José that given the Church of the College of the Society of Jesus was abandoned, and the old Romanesque Cathedral was too small to accommodate the chapter corporation and the large number of Canons, as well as for liturgical functions.
On October 19, 1772, the Old Cathedral was legally transferred to the Church of the College of the Society of Jesus, then renamed Sé Nova.
The temple began to be built in 1598 with a project by the official architect of the Jesuits of Portugal Baltazar Álvares, influenced by the church of the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora in Lisbon.
The works developed slowly, and worship only began in 1640, and the temple was only inaugurated in 1698.
In 1759, the Jesuits were banned from Portugal by the Marquis of Pombal, and in 1772 the episcopal seat of Coimbra was transferred so that the college could be larger and able to accommodate more people.
The facade of the church is marked by strong, simple lines and has four statues of Jesuit saints.
The upper part of the facade, completed only in the 18th century, has Baroque decoration and contrasts with the lower parts in the Mannerist style.
From an architectural point of view, the facade has two chains, the lower part is markedly Mannerist with strong lines and from which four statues of Jesuit saints stand out (Saint Ignatius, S. Luís Gonzaga, S. Francisco Xavier and S. Francisco de Borja).
In the 17th century, the upper part was finally completed in a Baroque architectural style, featuring the nation's coat of arms and two saints twice their natural size (S. Peter and S. Paul), in order to harmonize the differences in width between the upper and lower parts.
The interior consists of a single vaulted nave, with side chapels that communicate with each other (Chapel of the Baptismal Font, Chapel of the Resurrection, Chapel of St. Thomas of Vilanova, Chapel of the Sacrament, Chapel of St.
The decoration of the Sé Nova de Coimbra church is dominated by the huge and magnificent gilded altarpieces in the main chapel from the end of the 17th century, where a column stands out on each side and four niches that hold the images of four other saints (St. Ignatius, St. Francis of Borja, St. Francis Xavier, St. Stanislaus Kostka).
In the transept there are two other gilded altarpieces, one on the east side and the other on the west side.
At the beginning of the 18th century, coming from the Old Romanesque Cathedral, the main chapel's chair in exotic wood and bronze with two canvases by Manuel da Silva, and the baptismal font carved in Gothic style by Pero and Felipe Henriques stand out.
On the side there are exotic wood railings with turned or spiral balusters with cut-out bronzes that delimit the side chapels, and on some walls there are polychrome tiles.
