The university's main entrance is the Iron Gate, a 17th-century confection designed by architect António Tavares in 1634 on the orders of Rector D Álvaro da Costa. It stands on the same spot as the original gateway to Coimbra’s Moorish citadel and was the first major work following the acquisition of the Royal Palace by King Felipe I in 1597.
Each side of the gate features one of the university's founding monarchs: King Dinis on the outside and João III on the courtyard side. Above them stands the figure of Wisdom, the insignia of the university, while female figures represent the university's early faculties – Medicine and Law (exterior) and Theology and Canons (interior).
