Tomar
Home to the Templars Monastery
Convento de Cristo
José Manuel
Tomar is home to the Templars Monastery called the Convent of Christ built in the 12th century at a time when the knights were a formidable force. The Templars had assisted in the battles to drive the Moors from Tomar and in return recieved land, wealth and political power from the Portuguese throne.
In 1307, Phillip of France ordered the arrest of all Templars in France and the order was dissolved by Pope Clement V. However, King Dinis of Portugal simply passed the assets and authority of the disbanded Templars to the newly-formed Order of Christ who made Tomar their base. In 1418 Prince Henry the Navigator was made Governor of the Order and it was from the Order´s funds that he financed the Voyages that led to the first European explorations of Central and Southern Africa and onto India.
The nucleus of Convent is the octagonal chapel around which various cloisters have been created over the centuries. The Templar castle stands alongside the convent looking over the town below, where there are a number of good restaurants and a pleasant park and gardens alongside the river Nabao
Convento de Cristo
António Sacchetti
The town is also home to one of Portugals oldest synagogues, dating from the 15th century. The synagogue contains a museum dedicated to the life of the astronomer and mathematician Abraham Zacuto. Zacuto published his Almanach Perpetuum in the 15th century, containing tables that enabled the Portuguese mariners to find their latitude at sea by declination of the sun. This Almanach was one of the navigational aids used by Vasco de Gama en-route to India.
Near Tomar are a number of interesting towns and cities, such as the 12th Century fortress towns of Torres Novas and Castelo Branco. Torres Novas is home to many churches and a museum dedicated to the work of Carlos Reis. Castelo Branco is famed for the great garden that adjoins the former Bishops Palace. The spacious garden contains a long pool filled with marble arabesques, full of beds of flowers in bloom. Surrounding the pool are various urns and obelisks and statues of saints and kings. A museum is situated within the palace, containing collections of coins, arms and goldsmithery from the Roman and Visigoth periods. It is also home to a broad collection of silk-embroidery of both local and Indian-Portuguese origin.
Hotels in towns and cities close to Tomar
Hotels in Batalha
Batalha is the home of Portugal´s greatest national shrine, the monastery of Our Lady of Victory, and is also close to the sanctuary of Fatima. Batalha is 35 km from Tomar.....(More)
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