Tomar is an attractive small town in the middle of Portugal dating from the 13th century. It is famous for its Convent of Christ ie Convento de Christo. This was founded in 1160 on an old Roman and Moorish site, as the headquarters of the Order of the Knights Templar. in 1319 they were abolished but persisted in Portugal as the Order of Christ and maintained their headquarters here. Soon they were at the centre of Portugals emerging maritime empire under the Command of Prince Henry the Navigator(1394-1460) and then later King Manuel I.
The convent started as a fortified enclosure of about 5 hectares and then the Charola, the original Romanesque church was built in in the later 1100s. It was modelled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and is 16 sided on the outside and 8 on the inside. Later Prince Henry added a nave and then King Manuel extended it in the early 1500s to form a large rectangle with the Charola at one end. And of couse, all his usual embellishments, especially the Chapter House window and the Southern door. In the 1500s the convent grew around the Church with 6 morecloisters, a grand dormitory with 40 rooms, Hostelry for visitors, Refrectory, kitchens, a toilet cloister with a ventilation chimney and even its own aqueduct.
Tomar town grew as well and the old quarter of town is laid out in grid pattern with cobbled streets and lovely old church, St John the Baptist from the 1500s.
The convent started as a fortified enclosure of about 5 hectares and then the Charola, the original Romanesque church was built in in the later 1100s. It was modelled on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and is 16 sided on the outside and 8 on the inside. Later Prince Henry added a nave and then King Manuel extended it in the early 1500s to form a large rectangle with the Charola at one end. And of couse, all his usual embellishments, especially the Chapter House window and the Southern door. In the 1500s the convent grew around the Church with 6 morecloisters, a grand dormitory with 40 rooms, Hostelry for visitors, Refrectory, kitchens, a toilet cloister with a ventilation chimney and even its own aqueduct.
Tomar town grew as well and the old quarter of town is laid out in grid pattern with cobbled streets and lovely old church, St John the Baptist from the 1500s.
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