This complex is known as a centre of research with a broad range of clinical services and medical specialties.

Several features bear witness to its history: the gateway built in the middle of the 18th century, which used to serve as the main entrance to the hospital and the great staircase built soon afterwards, remarkable not only for the elegance of its lines but also for the tiles that make up the side panel containing a variety of scenes set in a Rococo moulding.

Nowadays the main centre of HUC operates in its own building, inaugurated in 1987 in Celas area of Coimbra.

There are many other buildings of this hospital, dispersed around a large area in Coimbra, forming a huge Medical Centre.

in order to reduce costs, fight overcapacity and unnecessary redundancy and create economic synergies for the state run hospitals operating in Coimbra.