Santa Cruz Garden

Category: Historic garden|Picnics

In the 18th century, on the initiative of Prior D. Gaspar da Encarnação, the area formerly known as Quinta da Ribela was landscaped between 1723 and 1752 to create what we now know as Jardim da Sereia or Parque de Santa Cruz. The park was mainly intended for contemplation and meditation by the faithful, but it also had recreational functions, such as the well-known Jogo da Pela enclosure, right at the entrance to the garden.

After the extinction of the Religious Orders in 1834, the site had several owners, with Commander José António L. Ribeiro being its last private owner. In 1885, the Coimbra City Council purchased Quinta de Santa Cruz, turning it into a public space dedicated to leisure and relaxation.

The entrance is through an impressive portico, topped at the back by a three-tiered waterfall, with the two side tiers made of stonework decorated with tile panels, representing, on the left, Sarah and Hagar in the Desert and, on the right, the Prophet Elisha throwing salt into the waters of Jericho. the central section has a niche with a statue of Our Lady of the Conception. The garden is crisscrossed by small paths that wind through the tangle of trees, culminating in a large circular lake. At the top of the grand staircase is the Nogueira Fountain, featuring a statue of a triton opening his mouth to a dolphin, from which water flows into a shell. It is this artistic ensemble that gave rise to the popular name Jardim da Sereia (Mermaid Garden).