Convento de Cristo
The Convento de Cristo Castle in TOMAR is just a 10minute drive from Casa Rosden and can in fact be seen in the distance from the poolside terrace, which overlooks the city.
It was built by Gualdim Pais, the Master of the Order of the Knight’s Templar in 1160 and later in the Century it was chosen as the headquarters of the Portuguese Templars. The Castle in Tomar was built as part of the Templar defense system to secure the border of the Christian kingdom against the ‘Moors of Iberia’
The famous round church ( rotunda ) of the castle of Tomar was also built in the second half of the 12th century. The church, like some other Templar churches throughout Europe, was modelled on the ‘Dome of the Rock’ in Jerusalem.
By 1314, the Templars had made many enemies, leading to their suppression by the pope.In 1319 however King Dinis, allowed the Templar members, to regroup under the new name of “Order of Christ”. The Order of Christ moved into their headquarters in Tomar in 1357.
‘Henry the Navigator’ became the most famous of the order’s grand masters, using much of their wealth to fund his explorations. In Tomar, he ordered the construction of various cloisters and a Gothic nave to added to the ’round church’ that had been built in the early days.
Manuel I became Grand Master of the Order of Christ in 1484 and the King of Portugal in 1492. From 1510, the king ordered the rebuilding of Henry’s Gothic nave in the style of the time, a highly decorative mix of Late Gothic and Renaissance that would later become known as the ’Manueline style‘.
The finest example of Manueline stonework of the Convent of Christ is the west window, referred to as the ‘Window of the Chapter House’ ( Janela do Capítulo).
The successor of Manuel I, King João III, demilitarised the Order of Christ and made it a fully religious order.
In 1581, the Portuguese nobility officially recognised Philip II of Spain ( Philip I of Portugal) as their king. This is the begining of the ‘Iberian Union’ when Portugal and Spain were united. The aqueduct of the Convent was built during this Spanish reign.
n 1983, the Convent of Christ was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List on the basis that it “represents a significant artistic achievement” - especially for its Manueline decoration.
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