Painted ceiling, Sao Miguel Chapel, Coimbra, Portugal
Painted ceiling, 17th century, by Francisco F de Araujo, with central medallion of St Catherine of Alexandria, representing wisdom and patron saint of students and teachers, in the Sao Miguel Chapel, or St Michael's Chapel, designed in Manueline style 1517-22 by Marco Pires and completed by Diogo de Castilho, on the site of a 12th century chapel in the University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. The chapel was renovated in the 17th and 18th centuries, with pulpit built by Manuel Ramos in 1684, tiled floor added 1613, Baroque organ with 2, 000 pipes built 1733 by Fray Manuel de Sao Bento, chinoiserie painting by Gabriel Ferreira da Cunha in 1737, and Mannerist altarpiece designed by Bernardo Coelho in 1605 and made by sculptor Simon Mota, with paintings by Simon Rodrigues and Domingos Vieira Serrao. The University of Coimbra was first founded in 1290 and moved to Coimbra in 1308 and to the royal palace in 1537. The building is listed as a historic monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Picture by Manuel Cohen
