Our first stop on our trip through Portugal and Spain was Tomar, Portugal. There, we visited the Convent of Christ, which was originally a 12th-century Templar stronghold (the convent was founded by the Order of Poor Knights of the Temple, or Templar Knights, in 1118). The Convent and Castle complex are a UNESCO World Heritage site.
The convent entrance is in Manueline style, which usually means it incorporates maritime elements and representations of the discoveries brought from the voyages of Vasco da Gama and Pedro Álvares Cabral. The window of the Convent of Christ (which is in many of the photos in this portfolio) is also a well-known example of Manueline style.
The Romanesque round church is a Roman Catholic Church from the castle (charola, rotunda) was built in the second half of the 12th century by the Knights Templar. The castle was built around 1160 on a strategic location, over a hill and near river Nabão. It contains gothic painting and sculpture.
This was a great way to start off our trip.
Thanks to Fodor’s Travel Guides, Trip Advisor, and Wikipedia for the great lessons that helped me to plan and summarize this trip.
