One of our most anticipated stops on our road trip in Portugal was Tomar. It’s a small city well known for its castle (Castelo dos Templarios) sitting on a hill overlooking the town, built in the 12th century by the Knights of the Templar as a fort to defend the area from Muslim intruders. The castle contains the Convent of Christ, a monastery with interesting architecture and a fascinating church, The complex was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1983.
(Main entry gate, Castle of the Knights Templar)
Guialdim Pais, who was Master of the Knights Templar in 1160 AD, was the main overseer of the castle’s construction. It remains one of the largest defensive structures ever built in Portugal. The rounded towers in the exterior walls were new to the country and in time showed they could resist heavier attacks than square ones. The castle became the headquarters of the Order of Christ, successors of the Templars.
The grounds of the castle are quite spacious, with gardens, wells, and places to sit.
Near the castle you can walk along the Aqueduct of Pegões, which was built to supply water to the Convent.
(Aqueduct of Pegões directs water to the castle)
(Convent of Christ, viewed from the Castle Gardens)
A tour of the Convent lets you explore its many details — hallways, arches, tiles, fountains. The convent has a variety of architectural styles and was built over several centuries; my favorite is the Manueline style.
The Convent has several small chapels. The beautifully tiled chapel below is the Portocarrerious Chapel, built in 1626.
The following is the New Sacristy, which was built in the 16th century.
The highlight of your visit and heart of the Convent of Christ is the Charola, the original Templar church. It is a circular chapel which was inspired by the church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The was built in the 12th century and has a domed ceiling and lots of lovely frescoes and sculptures.
(One Clue Mystery photo)
The photo above was featured in last weekend’s One Clue Mystery, and shows the entry to the Charola. It was recognized by Professor Abe and George G — congratulations to both!
The following photos are all from the Charola. Hopefully it gives you a feeling for some of its details:
There was a lot of construction and restoration at the Convent when we visited, and one of its highlights was covered. This was the Manueline Window. But the tiled image gives you a good impression of what it is like:
(Manueline Window)
I close this post with a few more photos of the Convent of Christ….
It is a great destination! We visited in April, when the crowds were pretty thin. The size of the complex allows visitors to disperse. The only place I felt crowded (and that wasn’t too bad) was in the Charola, which is understandable.
Awesome tour and photos!
Looks like a fabulous place to visit – and no crowds!