UC Botanical Garden's Cold Greenhouse reopens to the public on 16 November

The Cold Greenhouse of the Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra (JBUC) will reopen to the public on Saturday 16 November.

'Estufa Fria' has undergone several repairs to its infrastructure, lighting, and water supply in recent years.
In addition to these improvements, which have enhanced both the conditions and the visitor experience, the Cold Greenhouse now also features new plant species and exhibition materials that tell the story of the flora that thrives there.

This unique space at JBUC is home to plants adapted to humid and shady environments, such as the tree fern from southern Brazil, Uruguay, and northeastern Argentina, which can grow to a height of 10 metres, or the African cica, native to Madagascar and the East African coast, collected in 1964 in Quelimane, Mozambique, by Jorge Paiva, a botanist from the University of Coimbra. The flora in this room is surrounded by a waterfall and a small stream that runs through the entire greenhouse.

The Cold Greenhouse, designed by the Portuguese architect and filmmaker Cottinelli Telmo, was built at the end of the 1940s under the leadership of the Portuguese botanist, professor, and taxonomist Abílio Fernandes, who was the Director of JBUC at the time. The reopening of 'Estufa Fria' to the public marks the conclusion of the celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Botanical Garden of the University of Coimbra. An event open to the public will mark the reopening on 16 November at 14:30. The director of JBUC, Teresa Girão, and the UC Vice-rector for Heritage and Tourism, Alfredo Dias, will speak, followed by a guided tour of the space.
From the date of its reopening, 'Estufa Fria' will be open to visitors free of charge, Monday to Sunday, between 9:00 and 17:30 (winter opening hours,