Explorations of a city founded by the Knights Templar. Yes, those Knight’s Templar.
Tomar is located in the center of Central Portugal, in a very fertile area with a good connection to Lisbon by river. The area was reconquered from the Moors in 12th century. What is now the city of Tomar, and its hinterland, was given to the Knights Templar in 1159 as a fief. The Knights Templar Grand Master Gualdim Pais founded Tomar in 1160 on a fortified hill, next to their castle. It was the last Templar town to be founded. The Order of the Knights Templar was suppressed Europe wide in 1314. The property of the Knights Templar was confiscated and turned over to the Order of Christ.
There is even a Templar Castle still up there. Unfortunately, it’s been closed for restoration for awhile. This was the best view I got.
The Order of Christ built the Convent of Christ (Convento de Cristo), probably using Templar money, starting in the 14th century and continuing into the 18th. This monastery is too large for this post. Tune in for the next one.
This is a teaser photo for my next post on the Convent of Christ. That is a Knights Templar church back there.
Now for the cute city of Tomar.
The Praça da República, the main city square, with a statue of the city’s founder, the Knights Templar Grand Master Gualdim Pais.
That statue again and São João Baptista. According to legend, Gauldim Pais had the first church built on this site. The current church was either built or remodeled by Henry the Navigator around 1430. The current appearance dates from a few decades later.
Gorgeous Manueline doorway. Manueline is a style that combines Late Gothic architecture with new Renaissance ideas.
Simple three-aisle church.
This is pretty calm for a Portuguese church.
Never mind.
Now for a wander.
This azulejo scene features one of the famous Manueline windows of the Convent of Christ.
The weather is slowly clearing up.
Roda do Mouchão, a cute little water wheel in the Nabão River.
Good view of the castle from across the river. The waterfront was used for milling and other industrial needs, hence the drop in the river. There are small check dams in the river to control the amount of water flowing downhill.
The river was already looking rough. It would be worse the next day.
Very cute.
Some of the workshops that still line part of the river. The water is a bit high due to the recent rain.
A repurposed Gothic building.
Tomar is unique for its rectangular blocks. This area of the city was laid out by Henry the Navigator.
A few of these streets are absolutely adorable.
A quick peak at the Synagogue of Tomar. In the early days of Tomar, the city had a large Jewish population. In 1496, all Jews and Muslims in Portugal were ordered to convert to Christianity or be expelled, closing the synagogue’s doors. The building was repurposed until it was restored in 1939. The building had an interesting run as a jail, a church, hay barn, and a wine and grocery storehouse.
Back at the river and those workshops.
They are immediately on the river so they can take advantage of water power.
Grey Heron!
São Gregório from the 16th century. It’s sooooo cute.
The Largo do Pelourinho.
hose are some massive walls.
The weather was finally cooperating enough that I went to explore the Seven Hills National Forest (Mata Nacional dos Sete Montes) which starts with this landscaped garden. The trails, however, were rivers so I only ended up saying hi to the cat.
It truly loved getting its photo taken and pets.
It’s those workshops again. The historic center of Tomar isn’t very big.
Santa Maria do Olival was built in the late 12th century by Gualdim Pais, the grand master of the Knights Templar. The church became a burial place for the Knights Templar, and then later, the members of the Order of Christ.
There was major renovation in the 13th century including this gorgeous rose window.
A bit larger than the first church.
I only had a few minutes to explore the church before it closed for the day.
It is a lovely church. Unfortunately, most of the Templar tombstones were destroyed long ago. Gauldim Pais’ is embedded in the wall in one of the chapels built in the 16th century.
Tomar is a great place to spend the day. The convent and castle are the top attractions, but Tomar is a nice place to just walk around and explore.
I stayed in Tomar overnight, completely oblivious to Storm Kirsten storming in. The power was out when I woke up. Thankfully, the cell tower batteries didn’t die until later in the morning. I was able to download enough of Google Maps to still make it around. The first day after the storm was a bit crap, but once I got a bit further south at least the power and some cell service was back on. I wouldn’t get full cell service until a couple days after the storm. I was kind of proud of myself because I made it everywhere I was trying to go to without GPS directions. It was like a blast from the past.
Tune in for my next update where I explore the massive Convent of Christ!
or
Start at the beginning of this adventure!
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