HENK TER MATEN FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY | THE NETHERLANDS
Renaissance water basin within the Gothic fountain house, decorated with renaissance motifs including the coat-of-arms of the monastery and reliefs of gryphs.
Kitchen The kitchen of the monastery was built and covered with tiles in the mid-18th century. The central chimney is enormous, supported by eight iron columns. Water and fresh fish were diverted from the river Alcoa to the kitchen basin through a specially built canal.
Refectory The refectory was the room in which the monks had their meals everyday. While they ate, one of the monks read aloud passages of the Bible from a pulpit, which in Alcobaça is embedded on one of the walls. The access to the pulpit is done through an arched gallery with a staircase. The pulpit is one of the most harmonious architectural structures of the monastery. Like the dormitory, the refectory has many pillars separating aisles and is covered by early gothic rib vaulting.
