Francisco Tavares

I trained as a historian and the Sé Velha is where I always start, since it is the plainest and oldest building in the upper town and everything else in Coimbra makes more sense once you have seen it. On camera I hold the shot on the fortress-like front before moving inside to the arches, explaining why a cathedral built during a period of conquest looks more like a castle. I follow the old gate at Almedina next, tracing the line the medieval walls used to run. I speak carefully about dates, since Coimbra's history spans Roman, Moorish and Christian rule, and I would rather be precise than dramatic.