Originally a Dominican friary and house of formation affiliated with the University of Coimbra, the College of St. Thomas was established in 1538.
Its name referred to Dominican saint and Doctor of the Church Thomas Aquinas.
Construction began in the 1540s under the rector Fr.
Martinho de Ledesma, with plans by Asturian architect Diogo de Castilho.
The educational and residential areas of the college were arranged around a central cloister.
In the 18th century, the upper floor on the east side was expanded and renovated according to contemporary taste, including the addition of new windows and a balcony to the facade.

The building faces onto Rua da Sofia, the street where the colleges of several religious orders came to be concentrated.
The artery is named for the Greek word Sophia (σοφία, "knowledge" or "wisdom") on this account.
Originally a Dominican friary and house of formation affiliated with the University of Coimbra, the College of St. Thomas was established in 1538. Its name referred to Dominican saint and Doctor of the Church Thomas Aquinas. Construction began in the 1540s under the rector Fr. Martinho de Ledesma, with plans by Asturian architect Diogo de Castilho. The educational and residential areas of the college were arranged around a central cloister. In the 18th century, the upper floor on the east side was expanded and renovated according to contemporary taste, including the addition of new windows and a balcony to the facade.
The building faces onto Rua da Sofia, the street where the colleges of several religious orders came to be concentrated. The artery is named for the Greek word Sophia (σοφία, "knowledge" or "wisdom") on this account.
Palácio da Justiça (Coimbra)