# Exterior view [View the canonical artwork record]() ## Artwork - Artist: [ARCHITECT, Portuguese]() - Date: 1151-1200 - Technique: Photo ## Commentary The building of the monastery began in 1178, some 25 years after the arrival of the Cistercian monks in the Alcobaça region. Initially, the monks lived in wooden houses, and only moved to the new stone monastery buildings in 1223. The church was completed in 1252. The finished church and monastery were the first truly Gothic buildings in Portugal, and the church was the largest in Portugal. The photo shows the façade of the abbey church of Alcobaça. The portal and rose window of the church are original Gothic \(early 13th century\), while the towers are Baroque \(18th century\). View the <a href="\#" onClick="w=window.open \('/support/plans/zzzarchi/12c/5/alcobaca.html', 'newWin', 'scrollbars=yes,status=no,dependent=yes,screenX=0,screenY=0,width=400,height=600'\);w.opener=this;w.focus\(\);return false">ground plan</a> of the Cistercian abbey church, Alcobaça. ## Related artworks - [Detail of the decoration]() - [Detail of the decoration]() - [Exterior view]() - [Exterior view]() - [Exterior view]() - [Exterior view]() - [Exterior view]() - [Exterior view]() - [Exterior view]() - [Exterior view]() - [Exterior view]() - [Exterior view]() ## Attribution [Web Gallery of Art]()