Attending

Registration

The early bird registration deadline is on May 16th.
The prices for the conference are as follows:


Early Bird
(until May 16)
Late
(after May 12)
Regular / Full500€550€
Students, Independent researchers, Performers300€350€
ACM Members450€500€
Location

The City of Coimbra has its own very special charm, the result of a past full of important events and of the memories of the many thousands of Portuguese who, dispersed around the country or abroad, remember the carefree, easy-going, hopeful years spent here in their youth as students at the University. Prehistoric remains are scant but allow us to establish an early human presence on the site of present-day Coimbra.

From the Roman period we have the cryptoporticus. This is situated under the former Bishop’s Palace, which now houses the National Museum Machado de Castro. With the fall of the Roman Empire came the arrival of new invaders, commonly known as barbarians: Vandals, Suevi, Alans and later Visigoths, who all left their mark on the city. In 711, the city was occupied by the Moors and remained Islamic for more than 300 years, despite brief interludes when Christian troops regained control. With the final Reconquest in 1064, by the army of Ferdinand the Great, Coimbra was ideally situated to be a point of contact between the Muslim south and the Christian north and became home to an important Mozarabic community. 

As the country’s first capital for 200 years during the reigns of the earliest monarchs, Coimbra’s profile was raised by the founding of the University, which led to the formation of an urban nucleus full of noteworthy buildings. After 1537 there appeared numerous University colleges, and two areas – next to the Royal Palace in the upper town and in the Rua da Sofia (lower town) – were set aside for learning. 

In the 18th century, Coimbra maintained its academic vocation, which was strengthened by the Marquis of Pombal’s reform of the University. The new buildings resulting from this reform changed the appearance and structure of the university campus, giving new importance to Natural and Experimental Science. 

The 19th century was a period of considerable growth in population giving rise to new streets and residential areas, in particular the development of the estates belonging to the Sta. Cruz Monastery. 

The 20th century saw many more great changes to the city with the building of the new university campus that obliged the residents of the upper town to be moved to new residential districts. In the 1990s the city expanded towards Vale das Flores and Boavista, where the University’s second campus (Polo II) was built on the right bank of the River Mondego. Dedicated to Science and Technology, this features buildings by some of the best-known contemporary architects. A third campus (Polo III) dedicated to the Life Sciences has been built near the University Hospitals in the Celas area.

Recently, the University of Coimbra — Alta and Sofia has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognising irrefutable role as a centre of production and transmission of knowledge, within a geographical area that covers four continents – the ones corresponding to the ancient Portuguese Empire. The University of Coimbra — Alta and Sofia has used over this period, but mostly after its settlement in the city of Coimbra, the cultural, artistic and ideological influences of the former empire context inspired particularly by the pioneer charisma of the Portuguese Discoveries. While doing so, it received and disseminated knowledge throughout the fields of arts, sciences, law, architecture, town planning and landscape.

What to do in Coimbra?
The University of Coimbra — Alta e Sofia, is an extraordinary architectural set that, simultaneously, illustrates the several purposes of a university created in the Middle Ages, and the various significant periods of the Portuguese architecture and art, as well as of a national geographical and cultural space — the former Portuguese Empire.

Its history is closely connected with the ideological, pedagogical and cultural reformations, which hold a direct correlation to a material dimension. Through its set, the University represents a long cultural genesis, always present, active and architecturally and aesthetically verifiable in the several buildings that constitute it, and that are located in the World Heritage applicant areas – Alta and Sofia.

The Botanical Garden was an integral part of the Faculty of Natural Philosophy and was created during the Marquis of Pombal’s reform of the University in 1773 and only completed in the 19th century.

The survival of some of the buildings of the former Benedictine College, such as the old chapel in the woods, endows the place with a romantic historical air.

In addition to the Botanical Garden’s various works of architecture and sculpture, there is an extensive biological heritage, involving thousands of ancient plant species. Its exuberant vegetation reflects botanical studies and contacts with the four corners of the earth.

The University Palace (Paço Real) reveals the intimate connection of the University with royal patronage. It features a plethora of buildings and rooms that are worth visiting. We highlight the baroque library “Biblioteca Joanina”, which was created as a study library and reserved to the university community, and is currently considered one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. Likewise, visiting the “Sala dos Capelos”, the place where all PhD examinations, including those of the members of the organising team, usually take place is certainly worthwhile. 

The Chemistry Laboratory is the home of the Science Museum of the University. Together with the Physics Gallery and the Zoology Gallery, located across the street, they feature an important collection of experimental collection of instruments of the 18th and 19th centuries that is certainly worth a visit.

The construction of the Old Cathedral began in the 12th century. The Romanic church, built in yellow limestone, is located on a slope and is composed by three aisles, prominent transept and threefold headboard. The one floor cloister, located on the southern side of the church was built in the beginning of the 13th century.

Many other relevant buildings are available to this world heritage site, whose description can be found at worldheritage.uc.pt.

Coimbra has many other things to offer beyond this. For instance: visit the amazing Cryptoporticus of Aeminium, the Capela do Tesoureiro and explore the collection of the Machado de Castro national Museum; go to the Convent of Santa Clara-a-Nova a group of monastic buildings which begun in 1649; take a walk in downtown Coimbra passing through the Almedina Arch; walk and relax in the Dr. Manuel Braga Park, the Parque Verde do Mondego, where you can enjoy several restaurants and bars by the river, and the Pedro and Inês pedestrian bridge; Visit Quinta das Lágrimas and get (re)acquainted with the romantic story of Pedro and Inês… Last but not least, whatever you do, a trip to Coimbra is never complete without trying traditional dishes like “chanfana” and suckling pig (“leitão”) and hearing the traditional fado music from Coimbra.

Festivities in honour of Queen Saint Elizabeth
The Holy Queen (Saint Elizabeth, 1282-1325) was the wife of the Portuguese King Denis and is buried in the Convent of Santa Clara in Coimbra. She was known for her devout heart and one of her most popular stories is the miracle of roses. She is the patroness of Coimbra and her life is celebrated on the 4th of July, a municipal holiday. Every 2 years, there’s a beautiful night procession, in which her statue is carried by men to the Monastery of Santa Cruz, from where it returns one week after. Besides the procession, in the week preceding this day, coincidentally with the conference, the city will be especially lively and there will be other attractions, including a popular fair and fireworks.

Venue

AMICAD’25 will take place at the Polo I Campus of the University of Coimbra, the core of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. This location was selected due to its centrality and convenience for participants, as well as its history. We have selected a set of buildings and rooms of historical relevance, thus giving the participants the opportunity to visit the different areas of the university and experience the feeling of studying and working in Coimbra. 

Taking into account the needs of the conference and convenience, we chose the Colégio da Trindade (Trinity College). This 16th-century building underwent an extensive archaeological intervention, followed by the execution of an adaptation project to house the European University Judicial Court and other services of the School of Law. This renovation was supervised by the Aires Mateus architecture studio.

Travel

Coimbra is located in central Portugal, 120 km south of Porto, 195 km north of Lisbon. One of Portugal’s biggest crossroads, Coimbra is served by the A1, the main highway of Portugal, and by the Alfa Pendular and Intercidades train services. Those travelling from outside the Iberian Peninsula will probably fly to Lisbon or Porto, from where there are good train connections to Coimbra. Rail travel from both Lisbon and Porto is regular, fast and reliable provided you take the Alfa Pendular or Intercidades services. Both airports have direct flights to a large number of international destinations and are served by low cost airlines.

Accommodation

Coimbra features a wide variety of hotels. Most of them are at walking distance from the conference venue. Based on past experience we recommend the following hotels:

Sapientia Boutique Hotel (4 Star Hotel)
Rua José Falcão 4, 3000-062 Coimbra
https://www.sapientiahotel.com/

Tivoli Coimbra Hotel (4 Star Hotel)
Rua João Machado 4, 3000-226 Coimbra
www.tivolihotels.com/en/tivoli-coimbra

Vila Galé Hotel (4 Star Hotel)
Rua Abel Dias Urbano 20, 3000-001 Coimbra
www.vilagale.com/pt/hoteis/centro-de-portugal/vila-gale-coimbra

Dona Inês Hotel (4 Star Hotel)
Rua Abel Dias Urbano, 12. 
www.nh-hotels.com/pt/hotel/nh-coimbra-dona-ines

Hotel Mondego (3 Star Hotel)
Largo das Ameias nº 1-4, 3000-024 Coimbra
https://hotelmondego.com/

Hotel Oslo (3 Star Hotel)
Av. Fernão de Magalhães 25.
www.hoteloslo-coimbra.pt

JR Studios & Suites
Av. João das Regras 30, 3040-256 Coimbra
https://riu-s-studios-suites.hotelscoimbra.com/pt/

Hotel Botânico Coimbra (2 Star Hotel)
Bairro de São José, N.º 15
hotelbotanicocoimbra.pt

Hotel Vitoria (2 Star Hotel)
Rua da Sota, 9 – 11, 3000-392 Coimbra 
www.hotelvitoria.pt

Guesthouse River Suites 
Av. João das Regras 82, 3040-266 Coimbra
www.riversuites.pt

Avenue Garden
Av. Sá da Bandeira 102, 3000-351 Coimbra
https://www.avenuegarden.pt/pt