Cathedral of Aveiro

A Gothic-Renaissance church whose convent houses the tombs of Aveiro's royal patron

The Cathedral of Aveiro occupies the former Convent of Jesus, a Dominican convent founded in 1461. The church itself is a fine example of Gothic-Manueline architecture, with an elaborately carved facade added in the 18th century. The interior is notable for its 18th-century azulejo panels — blue-and-white tile compositions covering the nave walls — and the gilded wood of the chapels, which represent the height of Portuguese Baroque woodworking.

Adjacent to the church, the Museu de Aveiro/Santa Joana occupies the former convent and holds the remains of Princess Joana of Portugal (Joana la Princesa), who spent her final years here as a nun. Her tomb is a masterpiece of Baroque sculpture and well worth the entrance fee to the museum. The museum also houses religious paintings, sculpture, and azulejos from the region.

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A story
Princess Joana of Portugal, daughter of King Afonso V, came to the Convent of Jesus in Aveiro in 1472 and spent the remaining 18 years of her life as a nun despite repeated papal pressure to leave and make a politically useful marriage. She was beatified in 1693 and her gilded tomb, in the convent church, became one of the finest pieces of Portuguese Baroque carving. She has been Aveiro's patron ever since.