Travel in Portugal, Day 7, The Convent of Christ, Tomar

I was sad to leave Flor da Rosa.

Our destination was Tomar, where I wanted to visit The Convent of the Order of Christ. The Castle of the Knights Templar of Tomar was built by Gualdim Pais, the 4th Grand Master of the Order in Portugal in c.1160 and became the headquarters of the Order in Portugal. When the Knights Templar were dissolved the assets were transferred to The Order of Christ (effectively the same organisation under a new name) which established headquarters in Tomar in 1358. In 1417 Henry the Navigator became Grand Master of the Order.

An inner gateway into the Castle, Tomar

The walls of the Castle, Tomar

Inside the walls of the Castle, Tomar

The remains of the Royal Apartments of Henry the Navigator

The Church is breathtaking. The round church was built in the mid 12C, inspired by the Dome of the Rock shrine in Jerusalem, with later additions including an extraordinary, ornate doorway.

The door into the Church, Convent of Christ, Tomar

Carving on the door into the Church

Inside the church the Octagon, the original Templar Church, is richly decorated and ornamented and set aside from the body of the Church with an archway.

Inside the Church, the original round Templar Church

Inside the church, looking from the Templar Church towards the Nave

I would have loved more time to photograph the details in the Chapter House window but I did manage the odd little face at the bottom of the window, winking at the world.

And on a pillar near the window is this carving which is said to represent the Knights of the Garter in England.

The Convent was almost a city, with training facilities, sleeping quarters, guest accommodation, hospital, kitchen, refectory, ‘bathroom’ facilities, water supply, stables, gardens, and many, many beautiful cloisters.

The Grand Dormitory, Convent of Christ, Tomar

Warming Room

Monk’s cell in the Grand Dormitory

The Noviciate Rooms

Oil storage

The Kitchen

The Micha Cloister where food was handed out to the poor

The Pegões Aqueduct is c.7km in length and was completed in 1619. It was built to bring clean water for all purposes to the Convent, and also supplies the large fountain in the Royal Cloisters. (Interesting article with photographs here.)