Tomar
The Order of the Temple had its origin in the East, with the objective of giving assistance to the pilgrims who headed to the Holy Land and the respective worshipping places. Therefore, the Knights of the Temple had direct access to these places of which the Holy Sepulchre, Jesus’ Grave, and the Dome of the […]
The Romanesque round church is a Roman Catholic Church from the castle (charola, rotunda) was built in the second half of the 12th century by the Knights Templar. From the outside, the church is a 16-side polygonal structure, with strong buttresses, round windows and a bell-tower. Inside, the round church has a central, octagonal structure, connected by arches […]
The Templar order was suppressed throughout most of Europe from 1312–1314, but in Portugal its members, assets, and partly its membership were transmitted to the Order of Christ, created in 1319 by King Dinis. The Order of Christ moved to Tomar in 1357, which became its headquarters. One of the most important Grand Masters of the Order was Prince Henry the Navigator, […]
The castle of the Knights Templar of Tomar was built by Gualdim Pais, provincial Master of the Order of the Temple, around 1160. Later in that century, the castle was chosen as the headquarters of the order in Portugal. The castle of Tomar was part of the defence system created by the Templars to secure the border […]
The Convent of the Order of Christ is a religious building and Roman Catholic building in Tomar, Portugal, originally aTemplar stronghold built in the 12th century. After the Order of the Knights Templar was dissolved in the 14th century, the Portuguese branch of the order was turned into the Knights of the Order of Christ, which supported Portugal’s maritime discoveries of the 15th century. […]
Background and creation In the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, the Knights Templar helped the Portuguese in the battles against the Muslims, receiving as a reward extensive areas and political power. The castles, churches and villages thrived under its protection. In 1314, Pope Clement V of French origin and Philip IV of France, tried to completely […]
