My wife and I enjoyed our week exploring rural Portugal. There are many interesting small towns with historic castles, churches and monasteries you can visit. Often these spots are also listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list, as is today’s destination in west-central Portugal (1983).
The photo above was used as our One Clue Mystery photo on June 1st. It was recognized as being the Monastery of Santa Maria in Batalha by the incomparable George G. Congratulations George!
The Monastery was built to commemorate the 1385 Battle of Aljubarrota (fought nearby). King João called on the Virgin Mary for help and vowed to build a superb monastery in return for victory in the battle. The result of his promise is the site you visit today. Most of the monastery was completed by 1434 in the Gothic style, but the most memorable features are Manueline details which were added in the 15th and 16th centuries. The monastery largely escaped the destructive 1755 earthquake, but it was damaged during the Peninsula War in 1810 when Napoleonic troops sacked it. In the following years the building went into decline, but restoration began in 1840 and it looks fresh and beautiful today.
The limestone exterior is dominated by Gothic features, such as flying buttresses, octagonal chapels and massive columns.
Sitting outside the church is a large equestrian statue of General Nuno Alvares Pereira:
Below are some of the Manueline details of the complex, which I love!:
There are many grotesques and gargoyles on the church, some shown below:
The main entry is on the west, with its doorway’s having layered arches containing dozens of figures including angels, saints and prophets, all topped by Christ.
The Gothic interior is spacious and bright, if somewhat plain.
To the right as you enter is the Founder’s Chapel, a beautiful, star-vaulted square room. In the center of the Founder’s Chapel is the joint royal tomb of João I and his English wife, Philippa of Lancaster. Their marriage in 1387 cemented an alliance that still exists between England and Portugal. The tombs of four of their sons line the south wall of the chapel, including that of Henry the Navigator, an enthusiastic sponsor of exploration. Batalha was the favored church of Portuguese royalty for over two centuries.
(Tomb of Henry the Navigator)
(Stained light in the Founders Chapel)
The early-15th-century chapter house, Sala do Capítulo houses an armed guard of honor which watches over the tomb of unknown soldiers (a Mozambican soldier and Flemish soldier from WWI).
(Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier)
The roofless Capelas Imperfeitas (Unfinished Chapels) is perhaps the most unusual and interesting aspect of Batalha. These chapels are only accessible from outside the monastery. The octagonal mausoleum and its seven chapels were commissioned in 1437, but it is the later Manueline details which dominate the structure — as does the absence of a roof!
(some of the details of the Unfinished chapels)
We spent a half day exploring this lovely church and monastery complex, followed by a delicious lunch at a nearby restaurant. Overall, a most worthwhile experience, even if just to see the amazing unfinished chapel.
