Manuel Braga Garden

Category: City Park|Historic Garden|Leisure

This iconic city park is one of Coimbra's most cherished spaces, with a privileged location next to the Mondego River.

It was originally owned by Benedictine monks and located at river level, making it prone to constant flooding. In 1888, Coimbra City Council purchased Ínsua dos Bentos, which consisted of orange groves, open land where horse races were held, and a soccer field where Académica played. In 1920, a proposal was made to transform the former Ínsua dos Bentos into a public garden, with the project being entrusted to the Porto-based landscape gardener and flower grower Jacinto de Matos.

The garden was built on reclaimed land and protected by a stone-covered embankment, dotted with benches decorated with tiles from the “Fábrica Aleluia” in Aveiro.

The name of the park was decided in a City Council session, in order to pay tribute to Dr. Manuel Braga, a great promoter of the enhancement and creation of green spaces in the city, namely the Mata de Vale de Canas and the gardens of Av. Sá da Bandeira.

Until 1999, this space was the stage for the Queima das Fitas Park Nights, which were then transferred to their current location, Praça da Canção.