The tragic and forbidden love story of Pedro and Inês

Hi guys,

Last February, André and I decided to visit the city of Coimbra, located in the North of Portugal, where the famous Portuguese love story of Prince D. Pedro and Inês de Castro took place. 

The tragic and forbidden love story

This true love story happened long before Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet. A story of love and tragedy that, who knows, could have been the inspiration for the Shakespeare's romance.

Pedro and Inês; Source: https://www.livingtours.com/pt/blog/pedro-e-ines-conhece-a-historia-de-amor-mais-tragica-de-portugal.html

This love story takes place at "Quinta das Lágrimas" (Estate of Tears), a famous garden in Coimbra, once inhabited by the Portuguese nobility. The estate had very lush and famous hunting grounds, often visited by many kings and emperors of Europe.

Prince Pedro, the son of King Afonso IV, was the heir to the Portuguese throne. When he was 19, his father had him marry Constança of Castile (Spain) in order to build an alliance in 1340.

Ines de Castro, a daughter of a nobleman from Castile, was a lady-in-waiting to the Princess Constance. She was very beautiful and stole Pedro's heart and they quickly fell madly in love.

Despite the marriage of Pedro, he and Inês were often secretly together in Quinta das Lágrimas. After Constança of Castile died in 1345, D. Pedro began to live with Inês, upsetting his father, who strongly condemned the relationship, and provoked a strong reprobation of the court. For years, Pedro and Inês lived in Coimbra with their three children. 

They wanted to be married, but his father opposed it because he feared that Ines's children would claim the throne one day rather than the legitimate children born by Princess Constance. So the King wanted to end the relationship and when Pedro was away, he decided the only way to end it was to kill Inês. On 7th of January of 1355, the King sent three of his courtiers to end her life.

It is believed that her blood still stains the red stone-bed of the natural spring of Quinta das Lágrimas, which irrigates the estate's farmland through channels. Thin grasses sway the water, representing Inês' hair. This is said to be where Inês shed her last tears at the hands of the assassins, this giving the spring it's name.

Fonte das Lágrimas; Source: https://livrodeviagens.wordpress.com/2015/01/13/conhecendo-portugal-primeira-parada-coimbra/

"As filhas do Mondego, a morte escura

Longo tempo chorando memoraram

E por memória eterna em fonte pura

As Lágrimas choradas transformaram

O nome lhe puseram que ainda dura

Dos amores de Inês que ali passaram

Vede que fresca fonte rega as flores

Que as Lágrimas são água e o nome amores"

Os Lusíadas, canto III, Luis de Camões

Quinta das Lágrimas; Portra 800; Nikon F65

Quinta das Lágrimas; Portra 800; Nikon F65 

Quinta das Lágrimas; Portra 800, Nikon F65

Quinta das Lágrimas; Portra 800, Nikon F65

Quinta das Lágrimas, Portra 800, Nikon F65

Close to Quinta das Lágrimas, stands the ruins of the Santa Clara-a-Velha monastery, built in the 13th century, with a Gothic style. It was used until the 17th century and it was abandoned due to the successive floods of the nearby Mondego river. Today, all that is left are the ruins, mostly of the church and the courtyard.

Santa Clara-a-Velha monastery, where Inês was murdered; Portra 800, Nikon F65

Santa Clara-a-Velha monastery, where Inês was murdered; Portra 800, Nikon F65

Coimbra is a city full of history and it was the medieval capital for more than a century. It is home to one of the oldest and most prestigious universities around the world. Visiting Coimbra will certainly make you fall in love for the city. We will have a post on the blog about Coimbra, so stay tuned! 😊

André and Rita