FAQs

As a result of the nomination of “University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia” in the World Heritage List the University and the City together have taken full cultural responsibility of safeguarding, promoting and enhancing the Property of exceptional heritage value, with physical expression in the building and areas for construction – for over seven centuries – of a singular History of education and production and dissemination of knowledge throughout the world.

The University and the City are committed, with responsibility and rigor, in keeping and enlarging the ability of attraction of the Property in a perspective of sustainable cultural tourism, as well as with the academic functions that it has been keeping.

The recognition by UNESCO is a singular capital gain for the reinforcement of the collective commitment around the safeguarding and promotion of the Property, for the self-esteem of the population, the university community, and for all the generations, people and institutions spread throughout the world, whose memories are connected to the University of Coimbra.

The Nomination Dossier was presented to UNESCO in January 2012. This Dossier was evaluated by ICOMOS – the responsible entity for the technical assessment of the nominations – and an opinion was issued with the final comment. It was based on that document that the Nomination “University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia” was discussed on the 37th Summit of the Committee for World Heritage, at Phnom Penh, in Cambodia. In June 22, 2013, the inclusion of the Property in the World Heritage List was approved, unanimously.

The 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee (Bacu, Azerbaijan, July 2019) approved the ENLARGEMENT OF THE UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITE UNIVERSIDADE DE COIMBRA ALTA E SOFIA, inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2013, to include the
Machado de Castro National Museum.

Given that the founding members are entities with jurisdiction on the territory, the Association is a privileged partner over UNESCO regarding the representation and the management of the World Heritage Property “University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia”. On the other hand, this Association intends to facilitate the contacts between the community and the services responsible for the Property Management.

To the set “University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia” is given the classification of National Monument (NM). This set is covered by a Special Protection Zone.

Thus being, all the interventions in the classified Property and protection zone answer to a specific regulation, with particular conditions and rules that aim at preventing any negative effect on the integrity of the set.

The protection of the “Property” means that all the intervention proposals need to be previously analyzed to prevent eventual destruction, changes/disfigurement and degradations that may take its authenticity or may affect its integrity.

Each case is analyzed individually. However, and as a principle, the intended interventions will have to be considered, and will need a study of heritage and archaeological impact, so that the integrity of the property and the set will not be affected.

On the contrary, the safeguard and enhancement of the “Property” demand and stimulate a concerted action of all the parts (the University, the City Hall, the Directorate for Culture from the Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Reigional do Centro and all the agents of promotion and rehabilitation of the Historical Centre of Coimbra).

Though the entities with legal responsibility operating on the territory are concerned with the safeguard of the Property (fundamental for the inclusion and maintenance of the University of Coimbra as World Heritage) we sought to:

a) Gather in a unique regulation all the rules to be respected in the nominated area, in order to preserve the essential values, with no harm to the enhancement of the areas covered and the creation of conditions for people and activity fixation that may bring life and quality to the area;

b) Make sure that this regulation includes some degree of freedom, allowing, when justifiable, the non-application of the norms conceived for the construction of new buildings;

c) Create in those areas stimulus to urban rehabilitation (see FAQ 9).

No. The set of legal and regulation instruments in force for the classified areas will not allow those dissonant buildings. The referred area is protected as a National Monument and has a Special Area of Protection, therefore protected by the national law in force and by the Municipal Master Plan (PDM) of Coimbra and by the specific regulation.

The existent control mechanism concerning the volumes and area of the buildings are stated in article 5 (paragraphs a) b) and r)) and article 6 (no 3, paragraphs a) and h)) of the Specific Regulation. This Regulation is under revision to include the creation of an external expert commission that will assess the visual impact of the urban interventions over the Property and the ways to mitigate them, having its analysis a legally binding character when unfavorable.

The present Municipal Master Plan (in force since 2014) contains the general rules applicable to the maximum number of floors allowed in each area. As a general rule, it is determined the respect for the local dominance. The rules concerning the height of the buildings are stated in article 86 of the PDM Regulation. In summary, the buildings must respect the urban characteristics of the area and integrate in the volumes established by the alignments, depth and dominant area.

For the Historical Centre (with an area of 620 hectares, much wider than the classified area and the buffer zone, that is altogether 120 hectares), article 16 of the PDM Regulation defines the “maintenance of urban morphology, as well as the typological characteristics of buildings”. In addition, the classification of the special area of protection itself and a wide set of servitudes and restrictions in force in the central area of the City are additional factors of protections, forcing, for example, a compulsory and mandatory opinion of the state administration responsible for the preservation of the cultural heritage over the interventions in the existent and new buildings.

Yes. There is a reduction or exemption of municipal fees in the works performed and related operations, as the occupation of public space by scaffolds and construction materials.

It is also planned the reinforcement of the municipal system of stimulus to the urban rehabilitation (it consists, for now, in the previous measures and in the offer of paints, but it will evolve to a financial support of the effective costs of the interventions and to the concession of construction loans).

There are also fiscal benefits that should be availed. On the other hand, it is expected that the government should increase its support on the urban rehabilitation, by encouraging the promoters.

Yes. However, the measures that may force an intervention to avoid building degradation are no different in the nominated area, protection zone than they are in the remaining area of the municipality. There is, as a result of the importance of this nomination and the associated heritage values, a special concern of the entities with legal responsibility. That concern will result in the reinforcement, in these areas, of the coercive mechanisms.

With this nomination we intend to accomplish the double purpose of safeguarding and enhancing the Property. In some areas it is possible to use frames of different materials, as long as that is justified by the author of the intervention project. Note though that, if traditional materials and techniques are not used, the consultation with the RUAS Association is essential before developing the project. And, in the case of works on façades, they are always subject to prior municipal licensing. As for the platform, if that is meant to support a catering or drink establishment or for touristic purposes, its installation is possible, as long as the rules defined in the specific Municipal regulation are respected (available at http://www.cm-coimbra.pt/, separador Serviços/Regulamentos e Taxas).

The demolishing of buildings in the protection zone is not completely forbidden. However, and according to the terms of the specific Regulation, that intervention will only be possible “in extreme and irretrievable situations” or “if it is of indisputable collective interest” and if it is proved “the manifest technical impossibility of maintenance” and after “defining which architectural elements are reusable in the reconstruction and assured its translocation”.

However, severe measures are predicted in the regulation if any total or partial demolition is to occur without authorization.

Before the acquisition of a building in the classified area and protection zone, it is mandatory to demand the Central Region Directorate for Culture (DRCC) and the City Hall of Coimbra to pronounce themselves if they intend to exercise the right of first refusal on the transaction. It should be stressed that the municipality has the right of first refusal with declaration of non-acceptance of the price established, in the case of the buildings located in the Areas of Urban rehabilitation (that cover a huge part of the classified area and protection zone).

Essentially we need to consider three diplomas:
• Law no 107/2001, September 8;
• Decree-Law no 309/2009, October 23;
• Decree-Law 140/2009, June 15

The classified area and the protection zone, also known as buffer zone, were given specific rules, on a first stage, after the publication in the Official Gazette of the Announcement no 5286/2011, from April 20, which determined the opening of the administrative procedure concerning the classification, in the degree of national interest, of the “University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia” and established the provisional Special Area of Protection (ZEP).
Later, with the publication in the Official Gazette of the Notice no 2129/2012 of February 10, the “Municipal Regulation of Urban Construction, Recovery, Reconversion of the Area related with the nomination of the University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia to UNESCO World Heritage, including the Protection Zone”. This regulation created specific rules on intervention in the classified Property and in ZEP.

On May 15, 2013, the Notice no 175/2013 was published in the Official Gazette determining the intention of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage to suggest the Secretary of State for Culture the classification of the set “University of Coimbra – Alta and Sofia” as national interest set (MN)of which exist some additional restrictions to regulation in force. The Announcement no 14917/2013, published in the Official Gazette nº 236, 2nd series, December 5th 2013, confirmed the National Monument status, including the Special Area of Protection, following the inclusion of the Property in the World Heritage List.

Yes. Similar to what existed before the nomination of the University of Coimbra to UNESCO World Heritage for the situation of Classified Monuments (MN) and corresponding Special Area of Protection (ZEP), except that from now on it will have a minor degree of discretion, since it was created a specific regulation that includes the classified Property along with the ZEP.

The “Municipal Regulation for Urban Construction, Recovery and Reconversion of the Area included in the nomination of the University of Coimbra to UNSECO World Heritage, including the Protection Zone” has divided the area in three zones:

• Zone 1 comprehends the University Uptown and the Sofia Street and is subdivided in two areas – A1 corresponding to the University Uptown and B1 Sofia Street;
• Zone 2 – corresponds to the historic city and includes the intramural and the outskirts and is divided in two areas – 2A corresponds to the former critical area and the present Area of Urban Rehabilitation of Uptown Coimbra and 2B the remaining area;
• Zone 3 corresponds to Sá da Bandeira Avenue, Sereia Garden, Santa Cruz Neighborhood, Penitentiary, Sousa Pinto Neighborhood, Military Headquarter and Hospital, Seminar, Botanical Garden and the east side of Emídio Navarro Avenue.

Besides the general and specific rules and envisaged in articles 5 and 6 of the Regulation for each of these areas, according to the “relevance” of the existing buildings, there are specific and clear rules established in articles 7 to 11.

On September 10, 2009, the City Council, as proposed by the Municipality of Coimbra, approved the delineation of the area of Urban Rehabilitation for the purpose of tax benefits according to the Extraordinary Regime for Support of Urban Rehabilitation, approved by the Law No. 67 -A/2007 of December 21, and Article 71 of the Statute of Tax Benefits.


As the classified areas and the entire Special Protection Zone (ZEP) are part of the delimited area, IMI may be exempted for a period of five years, renewable for another five, if required following certain interventions.


These interventions in the building or their fractions should be designed to give adequate performance characteristics and functional, structural and constructive safety, granting new functional skills, in order to allow new uses or use the same use with better performance standards. It should result in a state of conservation of the property at least two levels above the assigned before the intervention.


To qualify for this exemption, the owner / promoter, before starting the works and after completion of these, must request surveys, performed by the Municipality, for the purpose of determining the condition of the property.

On the other hand, the municipality of Coimbra, in accordance with Article 112 of the CIMI, decided to apply the mitigation of 10% of the tax (IMI), not combinable, to the urban buildings:

• located in the parishes of S. Bartolomeu and Almedina;
• rented, in all municipality area.

According to the legal dispositions of the Regulation for Opening Hours in force (art. 4 of the Ordinary Regime), and the Decree-Law 48/2011, the shop owner will have to make a previous communication of the opening hours, within the regulation limits, by the Entrepreneur Counter.

The exceptional regime of art 5, from the Regulation for Opening Hours, particularly when concerning time extension (outside the limits established in the regulation) and restriction cannot be object of a mere previous communication by the Entrepreneur Counter, it needs an administrative authorization, since its appreciation depends on the argumentation of the request and previous audition of the entities established in the Regulation.