In the small cozy town of Alcobaç a there is a magnificent monastery of St. Mary. The complex of the monastery impresses with its luxurious external design in the spirit of Baroque and the simplicity and austerity of its internal appearance. The foundation stone of the monastery was laid in 1148 by the first Portuguese king, Afonso Henriques, who handed over the monastery to the Cistercian order, in gratitude for the fact that the monks fervently prayed for the victory of the king in the battle for the city of Santaré m.→