Alcobaça's most iconic symbol is undoubtedly the tombs of D. Pedro and D. Inês de Castro, which lie side by side in the Monastery of Alcobaça. Every year, thousands of tourists marvel at the detail and beauty of the two stone-carved tombs, an eternal symbol of Portugal’s most famous lovers.
This tragic tale of forbidden love tells the story of Prince Pedro, who betrayed his wife with her lady in waiting, Inês de Castro. Pedro maintained the affair a secret until his wife’s death, upon which he secretly married D. Inês, with whom he had three children. His father, King Afonso IV, and the Portuguese nobles disapprove of such a connection between the heir to the Portuguese crown and a Castilian woman. To put an end to this situation, in January 1355 the King orders the murder of Inês de Castro.
Mad with grief, Pedro rebels against the King, never forgiving his father for the murder of his beloved Inês. When he finally assumes the crown in 1357, Pedro has her murderers arrested and killed, cutting out their hearts, which earned him the nickname “Pedro, the Cruel”.
Not satisfied with the revenge, he imposes the recognition of Inês de Castro as Queen of Portugal. He also orders the transfer of her body to the Monastery of Alcobaça and the construction of two magnificently carved stone tombs, so that he could rest eternally next to his beloved.
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