Tomar is one of Portugal’s most underrated gems. A short 1.5 hour drive from Lisbon, it’s a small and peaceful offbeat town complete with cobblestone streets, gorgeous laneways, and many church towers to admire. However it’s the striking history of Tomar that makes it a cornerstone of the country’s cultural and historic narrative.
The Templar Knights
Tomar is the most important place of Templar history in the world. It was built by the legendary Templar Knights (a medieval military and religious order) in 1160, and founded by Gualim Pais, Portuguese Grand Master of the Order of the Knights Templar. Creating Tomar as their headquarters, the Templar Knights used the town as a base and support for maritime exploration, and was later used to protect Christian pilgrams from crusuades as they travelled to the holy lands.
Templar Castle
The Templar Castle, or Castelo de Tomar, was also built in 1160 to defend the Templar Knight’s stronghold and surrounding town. Located high above Tomar, the building was designed using one of the most advanced military layouts of it’s time; introducing the alambor- a sloped, reinforced base for walls which deflected incoming projectiles.
Convent of Christ
In the 1300’s the Templar site was transformed and expanded to become the Convent of Christ. Built upon over the five subsequent centuries, the convent is a testimony to architecure that combines Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, Renaissance, Mannerist and Baroque styles. The convents centrepiece is it’s circular chapel rotunda which was inspired by Jerusalem’s Church of Holy Sepulchre. The dramatic room features 16 sides, an octagonal centre, and is adorned with rich coloured frescoes.
Tomar Today
Today the castle and convent is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is easily one of the most historically significant and spectacular locations to visit in Portugal. The complex spans approx. 110 acres and has a total of eight cloisters, all built between the 15th and 16th centuries. It also contains the famous ‘Window of the Chapter House’- a huge window renowned for it’s intense maritime, botanical, and royal symbolism. Featuring ropes, coral, an armillary sphere, and the cross of the Order of Christ; the window is widely considered one of the most important architectural features in Portugal, symobilising the wealth and power of the Portuguese empire.
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