Coimbra has been a university city since 1290 and one of the oldest in all of Europe. It is located almost halfway between Lisbon and Porto and was a stop on our ride to our boat.
Joanina Library on the campus houses around 60,000 books. The library has traditionally used bats to help control insects that might eat the books. The bats come out at night and feed on insects. They cover all of the large oak tables and the thick baroque decor every evening to protect from the bat guano.
One of the most famous connections is the Portuguese university students’ black capes. JK Rowling saw students in Porto wearing their traditional academic dress, and it is often noted as an inspiration for the Hogwarts students’ robes. The library is also very Harry Potteresque.
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