There are walls that hold centuries of silence — and that, for that very reason, give celebrations a depth few spaces have. The Convento de Sandelgas, built in the 17th century to house religious sisters of the Third Order of St Francis, near Coimbra, is exactly that: a stone convent where, today, some of the most beautiful weddings in the Centro are celebrated.
It is interconnected halls, its own chapel, and centuries-old gardens with fountains, a lake, and old cedars. The space hosts up to 230 guests, with the ceremony able to take place in the chapel and the party then going two ways — outdoors, under the canopy of the trees, or in a large indoor hall. Awarded several years as one of the best wedding venues in Portugal.
For couples who want a wedding with historic weight, serenity, and a unique atmosphere, this is a perfect spot. If you ask us, it is one of the most soul-laden places in the Centro.
The Convento de Sandelgas has no accommodation on the space itself. Mary Me coordinates room blocks at curated hotels in Coimbra (less than half an hour away), including historic and charming options in the city, handling the family-by-family allocation, the transfers, and the arrival sequencing, so the wedding morning runs without surprises and international guests never feel lost. Coimbra, central between Lisbon and Porto, also gives room to extend the stay.
The Convento de Sandelgas was built in the 17th century to house religious sisters devoted to St Francis of Assisi, in a stone building surrounded by garden, fountains, a lake, and cedars — a space of retreat from the world, fit for meditation and prayer. Its foundation was approved by King Manuel; later, the sisters were transferred to the Monastery of Santa Clara in Coimbra.
In 1865, the convent was acquired at public auction by the Moura-Gusmao family, who own it to this day, and in 1997 it opened as an events venue. Since then, the same walls that witnessed centuries of prayer now witness celebrations — and it has been the stage of award-winning and high-profile weddings, distinguished as one of the best wedding venues in Portugal between 2020 and 2023.
If you ask us, what sets the Convento de Sandelgas apart is not needing any scenography: the history, the stone, and the centuries-old gardens do the work. Marrying in a 17th-century cloistered convent is an experience no new hall can imitate. Not bad, right?
We are in Sao Martinho de Arvore, in the municipality of Coimbra — less than half an hour from the city’s historic centre, but in full green countryside, surrounded by garden and silence. Coimbra, the city of Portugal’s oldest university, is right there, which gives the convent the best of both worlds: the seclusion of the countryside and the life of a historic city at the door.
The advantage is Coimbra’s centrality: halfway between Lisbon and Porto. Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport, in Porto, is about an hour and fifteen away, and Lisbon about two hours — which gives guests room to arrive via either, with transfers handled by Mary Me.
Around it is the University of Coimbra, the Roman ruins of Conimbriga, the Mondego, and the Serra da Lousa for a day-after. The Convento de Sandelgas is a historic and serene base for a destination wedding in central Portugal.
The Convento de Sandelgas’s great advantage is flexibility within a historic setting, on an exclusive-use basis. The civil ceremony can take place in the convent’s own chapel, and the religious one at the village church, right next door — a rare convenience. The cocktail flows through the centuries-old gardens, among the fountains, the lake, and the cedars.
After the I do, the party goes two ways: outdoors, under the canopy of the trees, or in a large indoor hall — and three interconnected rooms allow different atmospheres to be created. That is why the convent works at any time of year. Capacity goes up to 230 guests, and the team, award-winning, follows each couple in detail.
It is a wedding of secular refinement, with old blessings hovering. We know the Centro deeply. The couple’s session winds through the centuries-old gardens, fountains, and stone cloisters of the convent. Pop the question. We handle the rest.
The Convento de Sandelgas is, in itself, an award-winning events operation, with a team that follows the weddings on-site. The value we add does not replace the convent’s team: it is to represent you, independently, and to orchestrate everything that links this Coimbra convent to the world your guests come from. We handle the transfers — taking advantage of Coimbra’s central position, with Porto an hour and fifteen and Lisbon two hours away — and the liaison with the Coimbra hotels for the room block, since there is no accommodation on the space, and the arrival sequencing of an international group. And there is the practical side: the chapel serves the civil ceremony and the village church the Catholic one, and we handle the council permit for fireworks, the sound curfew, the civil-ceremony paperwork in Portuguese, and the university, Conimbriga, and Mondego programme for guests who stay on. From the first call to the last dance.
