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Convent of the Order of Christ in Tomar
The Convent of the Order of Christ, in the beautiful town of Tomar, belonged to the Templar Military Order. Founded in 1162 by the Master of the Order D. Gualdim Pais, the Convent of the Order of Christ still conserves some memories of those knight monks which made of this monument the order’s headquarters.
Henry the Navigator was the Master of the order since 1418 and ordered the construction of cloisters in between the ‘charola’ (a semicircular passageway in the church) and the Templars fortress, nevertheless the biggest alterations were due in the reign of King D. João III (1521-1557).
Architects such as João de Castilho and Diogo de Arruda endeavoured to express the power of the Templars constructing the Church and the cloisters with rich Manueline ornaments of which greatest highlight is the famous window on the western façade.
The Convent is located in a hill above the lovely town of Tomar. It is surrounded by the defensive walls of the Tomar Castle and by the cerca woods.
Nowadays it is a cultural, touristic and religious place, a highlight of the Portuguese heritage. Its architecture combines several styles such as Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, Mannerist and Baroque.
