The reference to Café Santa Cruz dates back to 1921 in newspapers of the time – ‘O Despertar,’ ‘A Gazeta de Coimbra,’ and ‘Correio de Coimbra’ – as ‘O Café Manuelino’, an association with the architectural style of the building.
During the reign of King Manuel I (1495-1521), the expansionist policy initiated by King John II (1481-1495) was developed. The opening of the oceanic route, initiated by Bartolomeu Dias and continued by Vasco da Gama at the end of the 15th century, marked the resurgence of Portuguese expansion. The various conquests of important cities in India allowed for increased commercial activity between the economic spaces of the West and the East. With successive voyages to the East, Portugal maintained a monopoly on the spice trade (pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves) until around 1570. However, the greatest wealth came from taxes and, mainly, from the gold from the Guinea mines. In 1500, Pedro Álvares de Cabral discovered Brazil, expanding the territories discovered by Portugal at the beginning of the 16th century. Portugal’s territorial expansion, as well as its economic power, now reached four continents.
The reflection of this new world, being discovered, the conquest of new territories, and the novelties arising from the voyages of discovery, with the arrival of many riches (gold, jewels, porcelain, fabrics, spices), allowed Portugal to experience a unique period and to gain political, economic, and social weight in Europe. As a result of this excitement, the novelties, the intensification of external trade, and the wealth that had meanwhile reached the Kingdom, King Manuel I promoted the largest campaign of building construction since the creation of the Kingdom of Portugal. These interventions were so intense that his name became associated with an architectural style: Manueline. During this period, Lisbon was considered a cosmopolitan city, frequented by people from the continents that had been discovered. Naturally, it was attractive, mainly due to Portugal’s economic power, to many reputable foreign artists (from various areas) who wished to collaborate in the reforms initiated by King Manuel I. His intervention was mainly in the construction of churches, monasteries, palaces, and hospitals. Major requalifications were made in existing religious spaces, such as the Convent of Christ in Tomar, the Monastery of Batalha, the Convent of Jesus (Setúbal), the Convent of Lóios (Évora), the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Beja), the Cathedral of Lamego, the Cathedral of Funchal, the Palace of Sintra, and the Monastery of Santa Cruz in Coimbra. In all these spaces, the Manueline style was strongly marked. During his reign, the Jerónimos Monastery (1501) and the Tower of Belém (1515) are the reference works, where, among others, the symbols of King Manuel I can be found: the Armillary Sphere and the Cross of Christ. It was during the reign of King Manuel I that the revitalization of the various spaces of the Monastery of Santa Cruz, which were in an advanced state of degradation, was triggered. In addition to improving the facilities, including enlarging them, this intervention also envisaged the construction of a worthy tomb for the first 2 Kings of Portugal, D. Afonso Henriques (1179-1185) and D. Sancho I (1185-1211). Here, there was a great concern for amplifying / enlarging / promoting national historical memory by ordering the construction of new tombs in the place where there were some unworthy ones for the first Kings of Portugal. After the death of King Manuel I, King John III (1521-1537) continued the planned works, by his Father, for the Monastery of Santa Cruz.
As part of this profound intervention, the Church of St. John of Santa Cruz, also known as the Church of St. John of the Ladies, was built in 1530, where Café Santa Cruz is located (inaugurated on May 8, 1923).
Manueline Style?
It aims to convey, through art, the greatness of our history. To exalt, highlight, the deeds carried out by the Portuguese in the late 15th and early 16th centuries: the discoveries, the conquests, and the riches that reached Portugal from 4 continents. As a result of this economic, military, and political power, the Manueline style spread throughout our overseas dominions. The Manueline style was characterized by the exuberance of forms, through motifs associated with flamboyant vegetal naturalism, to which were added new elements from the daily lives of the populations (chains, ropes, wicker baskets, buckles, …). The naturalistic decorative elements (trunks, branches, leaves, shells, roots) combined with other elements inspired by the maritime world (nets, spheres, ropes, shells, seaweed, …).
The Armillary Sphere, symbol of royal power, and the Cross of Christ, symbol of divine power, are the most important motifs/symbols of Manueline art.
Neo-Manueline Style In the 19th century, the influence of the Manueline style became evident in the construction and rehabilitation of buildings. The symbolism surrounding the Portuguese empire, revivalism, nostalgia for the past – recalling the glorious deeds achieved throughout the 16th century – resulted in the emergence of Neo-Manueline. This new style became a value, a cultural condition, in this phase of Portugal’s history. The great examples of Neo-Manueline are the Bussaco Palace, the Pena Palace, and the Regaleira Palace, all in Sintra.
In conclusion, it would make sense to create a Manueline Route, where we would travel through and visit various buildings constructed and/or intervened by King Manuel I in Portugal, who sparked the creation of the Manueline style and later influenced the Neo-Manueline style.
Coimbra, December 31, 2022.
References
Braga, Paulo Drumond, D. Manuel I (1469-1521), CTT, 2021
RTP: “Imagens da Arte Portuguesa – Manuelino, um Estilo”, 1985
https://ensina.rtp.pt/artigo/manuelino/
RTP, Visita Guiada: “Palace-Hotel do Buçaco”, Ep. 3 – 25 Maio de 2015
https://www.rtp.pt/play/p1867/e196245/visita-guiada