The first stone of the Church of Santa Clara-a-Nova was laid during the reign of King João IV The original design was attributed to the Benedictine monk Frei João Turriano the Kingdom’s chief engineer who drew inspiration from the work of the Renaissance architect Palladio to overcome the challenges posed by the uneven terrain The most prominent figures in the construction process were: Turriano Domingos de Freitas Pedro Freitas and Mateus do Couto

The entrance door of the church particularly on its sides reflects the architectural style of convent churches for nuns

Richly decorated the interior of the church is distinguished by its gilded woodwork and columns The space houses 16 altarpieces divided into two distinct themes the liturgical which evokes moments from the life of Jesus Christ and the others which depict events related to the saints of the 1st and 2nd Rule of Saint Clare The most notable contributors to these altarpieces were António Gomes Domingos Nunes and Domingos Lopes

In the middle of the church facing the High Altar one can admire the magnificent stained-glass window featuring Queen Saint Isabel at the center flanked on the right by her coat of arms and on the left by the coat of arms of the city of Coimbra an offering from the community of Queen Saint Isabel’s devotees in the State of California

At the back, on the right lies the tomb of Queen Saint Isabel’s granddaughter Infanta Lady Isabel who passed away at just two years old Next to her tomb is an inscription that reads “Daughter of the Future King Afonso IV” This tomb crafted by Master Pêro is one of the earliest examples of Gothic style in the city

On the left in a 15th-century tomb rests one of the daughters of the First Duchess of Coimbra also named Isabel of Aragon and Urgell It is believed that this tomb was commissioned for Lady Isabel of Urgell and Aragon who is thought to have spent time at the monastery She was the wife of Infante Dom Pedro son of King João First A unique feature of this tomb is that it has already been opened at some point Another detail about the Duchess is that she also has a separate burial site at the Monastery of Batalha

Facing the church at the richly adorned High Altar with gilded woodwork the central altarpiece in the national style features a depiction of Lady Isabel entirely sculpted in mahogany by the sculptor Teixeira Lopes an offering from Queen Maria Amélia to the Brotherhood This statue was traditionally carried in processions

At the center of the main chapel lies the Queen’s tomb crafted in the 17th century entirely from silver and crystal gleaming and flanked on the left by a statue of Saint Francis of Assisi and on the right by one of Saint Clare of Assisi