Located in the center of Portugal is the lovely town of Tomar. This medieval town is the perfect place to emmerce yourself in Portugal’s rich history. And what better way than to visit the Convent of Christ and the Tomar Castle. This vast monumental complex built in the late 12th century is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Quick History of the Convent of Christ
Founded by Gualdim Pais, Grand Master of the Knights Templar in Portugal in 1160, the Knights Templar castle and the Convento de Cristo was built as a defence against Moorish invasions. Once King Afonso Henriques led the Reconquista against the Moors, he recognised the strategic importance of the region and granted the land to the Order of the Knights Templar.
After the dissolution of the Templars in 1312, Portugal’s King Dinis incorporated a new order to replace the templars and renamed the monastery the Convent of the Order of Christ. The monastery became headquarters for the Order of Christ in the early 14th century. This order was also quite influential in the 15th and 16th centuries providing financial and military support in maritime discoveries, territories and colonies and funding expeditions to Brazil and Africa.
Throughout the centuries, kings have laid their mark upon the complex. Prince Henry the Navigator built the washing and cemetery cloisters and planned his expeditions during the Age of Discoveries here. King Manuel I (also a grand master of the order of Christ) remodelled parts of the monastery and added many architectural aspects such as the Manueline designs. Even the King of Spain, Phillip II commissioned the Pegões Aqueduct that provided water to the entire complex.
When all religious orders were abolished in 1834, the properties of the Order of Christ became property of the state of Portugal. It is no longer a functioning convent or monastery but provides Portugal and Tomar with money from tourism.
How to get there and what you need to know
Tomar is located in central Portugal along the Nabão River and the easiest way to get there is by car. It is possible to go to Tomar as a day trip from Coimbra. You can get a private tour to meet you at the convent. Viator does a trip from Lisbon and will also take you to Óbidos and Nazaré. Many tour guides will not combine tours such as Alcobaça or Fátima because it takes more time. If you have an extra day in your itenary, Tomar is a great trip.
This monastery is the most expansive one we have been in so far and we have visited 3 others: Batalha, Alcobaça, and Jerónimos. It is vast and will probably take about 3 hours to go though. We were there around 2 and did not see everything. There is a cafe inside and 2 stores, one with swords and knights templar souvenirs and the other that has more books and pottery for sale. The bathrooms are located close to the exit. I highly suggest you go before your tour. I speak from experience.
If they are available, purchase a map. There are maps all over but it will be easier if you have one. Hours are all days from 9-6 in the summer and 9-5 in the winter. They are closed some holidays so check their website.
Tour of the Convent of Christ
Once you climb the stairs and pay your ticket to enter, you go through a short hall that has a model of the monastery and a few artifacts on display. Follow the signs toward the cloisters first.
Walk through the New Sacristy which was the chapter house of Prince Henry to the cloisters outside. Note, there are 2 cloisters here, the claustro da lavagem (washing cloister) and the cemetery cloister (claustro do cemitério) the burial site for the knights and monks and has a view of the tower and round chapel. You can walk around these areas and enjoy the view, see the ruins of the templar castle connected to the convent and imagine what life was like here during the 12th century.
As you go back towards the entrance, you follow a hall down to the Charola or round church. Nothing really prepares you for what you are about to see.
This unique design is one of the reasons why the Convent of Christ is considered such an important example of Templar architecture. The round nave, known as the “Charola,” is one of the most distinctive features of the complex and a prime example of Romanesque architecture in Portugal. Inspired by the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, this nave is built in circular form representing perfection and eternity in Christian symbolism which are Templar beliefs. The altar in the middle makes worship more centralised. The round shape was also built for defensive capabilities since it is somewhat harder to hide in a circular room.
We took our time walking around this awe inspiring piece of architecture.
It’s really hard to capture this massive church with just a few pics. To see it all, scroll to the bottom of the post or click here for the YouTube video.
Once you have had your fill of the Charola, make sure you walk around to check out the Manueline nave and the inside of the chapter house. However, the famous Manueline style chapter house window is best seen outside on the balcony.
After you have marvelled at the windows for a moment, wandering about the convent is easy. Since we did not have a map, we had to follow signs from place to place. We saw the great hall and kitchens which we followed around another cloister to the cafe. We walked outside this area to a patio where the gardens used to be and saw the aqueduct.
We walked through several other cloisters, one being the main cloister built by João III, designed by João de Castilho. He also designed cloisters at Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon.
If you follow the signs and don’t get too lost, you will eventually find your way back to the gift shop, restrooms and another room that gives you a history of the convent. You exit on the ground floor which makes getting to the car easier.
The Convent of Christ is definitely our most loved monastery so far. You can wander for hours in this place and not see it all, which is one reason we will definitely go back.
If you want to hear more about our trip to Batalha and the Convent of Christ, check out our Podcast! The epidsode will be released the week of July 1, 2024. Want to see more photos? Check out our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Youtube.
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Shelley is a full time traveler, blogger and podcaster currently living in Portugal with her wife, 2 dogs and a cat. She is a former history teacher originally from Winston-Salem, NC but wanted to see what life was like abroad. Now she travels all over Portugal and Europe writing about what she sees and does and tells you all kinds of fun stories on the podcast at Wandering Works for Us.