Mosteiro de Lorvão
Just outside Penacova, in a small wooded valley, is the village of Lorvão and the Mosteiro de Lorvão. This monastery is worth visiting not just to see what's still standing, but also to feel the vibes of a departed epoch. Its origins are obscure, but there's archaeological evidence of monastic life here dating as far back as the 6th century. In the 13th century Lorvão became a convent for Cistercian nuns and was the custodian of a famed library of 12th-century illuminated manuscripts. The convent was closed down by government order in the 19th century. By that time, the impoverished nuns were partly supporting themselves by making the forerunners of the exquisitely carved willow toothpicks that you can buy in Penacova and in handicrafts shops around the country. (The nuns originally used them to decorate the little cakes they made for sale.) Still standing is a baroque church with beautifully carved choir stalls and an ornate wrought-iron choir grille. The adjacent museum contains archaeological pieces recovered from the site as well as several illuminated manuscripts.
