Municipal Holiday of Coimbra it’s a honor of Queen Santa Isabel
The fourth of July is the municipal holiday of Coimbra. It is in honor of queen Santa Isabel, who passed away on this same day back in 1336, in Estremoz. Isabel de Aragao or Queen Santa Isabel, as she became known, was the oldest daughter of King Pedro III of Aragon.
In 1282, only 12 years old, she married with King Dinis of Portugal and they had 2 children: Constança and d. Afonso iv. Queen Santa Isabel had always a great commitment with the less fortunate people. Many poor men,women and children received,from her, health care, Miracles and Pocket change. She also fought to stop the war in her husband’s, and later her son’s, kingdom in order to promote peace and harmony.
There is a legend that the queen,in a winter morning, left the castle carrying bread in her lap, when she was surprised by the King, who asked what she was carrying. “they are roses,my lord!” she answer. D. Dinis, intrigued, asked again:” roses? In January?”
The Queen shows her lap and there were roses and not bread. And so was born the miracle of the roses.
However, the time of this legend was never found and precisely determined. After her death, she was beatified in 1516 and canonized in 1625. You can find her tomb in the Queen Saint Isabel’s Church, in Santa Clara-a-Nova Monastery.
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